The device is designed in a way that allows sound to go out through the back of the ear cups, which usually have vents or perforations. The headset has a tendency to underperform at the very top end, so high-pitched noises and cartoony titles dont work quite so well with those nice, heavy drivers (the specs say the headset supports a frequency response range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz). So if you are searching to buy epoxy floor products at affordable rates place and order now. Anyway, the most pressing question that we knew we had to answer right away is: Between these two RIG headsets, which one is the definitive headset to own? The sound is great, it fits neatly and easy adjustable headband. Coming in at 281 and 241 grams respectively, these headsets feel almost weightless compared to other premium Xbox headsets in their category. Throwing the headset onto a nearby couch we instantly discovered the mic is the weakest part of the whole headsets design itll pick up every whisper you utter, sure, but get careless just once and it is liable to break. It has a removable mic which I like as sometimes I prefer to use a freestanding mic when using with my PC. The sound is a natural, high quality and for as loose as they feel, they have a nice grip that fits perfectly over the head and ears. Help us by suggesting a value. This was especially apparent in Steve Jablonsky's "Nest.". Nacon RIG 700 Pro HX (top), 500 Pro HX Gen 2 (bottom) The RIG 700 Pro HX Remove non-product link is being sold exclusively at GameStop and retails for $120, while the RIG . The die-cast aluminum build of the Esports model goes a long way toward making those headphones attractive. Unless you're deliberately listening for it, though, the distortion is not noticeable. Ill be honest: In terms of impressive surround sound, the 500 Pro is almost there, but not quite, falling noticeably below the easily distinguishable surround sound effects of the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 and 600 Gen 2 headsets, the Xbox Wireless Headset, and to a lesser but still perceptible extent its sibling the 700 Pro, specifically in that order. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of CGMagazine. We also recommend the $99.99 Razer Blackshark V2 if you want a wired headset for PC gaming, and the $99.99 Xbox Wireless Headset if you want to specifically game on the Xbox One or Series S/X. Be the first. The $59.99 Astro Gaming A10 is a long-standing favorite for its excellent sound quality, though its less comfortable. My voice sounded clear and full in test recordings, but there was a bit of underlying background fuzz I couldnt attribute to my notebooks fan (which some mics pick up). The Plantronics Rig 500 Pro Esports and the Plantronics Rig 500 Pro HX are, outside of their primary build materials, completely identical in terms of internal components. The Nacon RIG 500 Pro HX gaming headset is comfortable to wear and easy to use, but its headphones and microphone could both sound a bit better for the price. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Plantronics GameCom 788 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset DAMAGED NO SOUND at the best online prices at eBay! The RIG 500 Pro comes in three versions: the HA is designed for PC gaming, the HX is designed for Xbox, the HS is designed for PlayStation and the HC (which I tested) is designed for. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I could easily tell when nearby players and creatures were running around, but the distant thunder of gunfire lacked the low-end power to give an impression of the shots' location. Multipoint allows you to link to more Bluetooth devices and switch between them. The scoring that appears on this site is determined by the site operator in its sole discretion, and should NOT be relied upon for accuracy purposes. Resident Evil 4 looks strong, but Capcoms own Resident Evil 2 Remake will never be bettered, Quordle today - hints and answers for Sunday, April 16 (game #447), Saatva Foam Mattress Topper review: an affordable comfort boost. PCMag supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownerships. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. Though the cable attached to the headset promises to be resilient and damage-resistant, youll notice the connection to the headset is fairly flimsy and vulnerable: bear that in mind if youre an agitated player and often take your headset on and off it seems like a weak spot, and one breakage there could cost you $79.99 (especially given how temperamental audio cables have a tendency to be). 2022 NACON S.A. Nacon and RIG are trademarks of NACON S.A. registered in the U.S. and other countries. More battery power can be an indication of longer battery life. At the high ranges I tested, the sound never distorted. Click to enlarge. I spent about a week only using the 500 Pro before moving on to the 700 Pro, and when compared to my regular go-to headsets (the Xbox Wireless Headset and the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2, both wireless headsets, mind), the 500 Pro provides satisfactory 3D surround performance. MORE: The Best PC Games to Play Right Now. It just seems odd that such convenient and intuitive features such as flip to mute and a more pliable boom mic are available on the cheaper variant of RIGs headset but are not being echoed on the more expensive product, especially when other competing brands like Turtle Beach tend to carry those features forward. Editors Note: We initially tested a version of the Plantronics RIG 500 Esports Edition that had sound issues. This meant it wasn't hard to judge what the most immediate threat was, since only relevant sound effects took priority. Skip header navigation. RIG 500 PRO EX | Xbox One, Series S/X, PS4, PS5 | Gaming Headset w/ Mic. 4. cable length Unknown. All of these headsets work on every platform and all but the PlayStation model include the 2-year support for Dolby Atmos (more on that in a bit), so it's not entirely clear why there are so many models. Nacon Rig 500 PRO review. Use your experience to help others in the community make a decision. The RIG 500 Pro HX is framed as an Xbox-specific headset, but its effectively identical to the multiplatform, portable-gaming-oriented RIG 500 Pro HC. Strangely, the boom mic cant be flipped up either, and muting the mic can only be achieved via the shallow and rather difficult-to-locate mute button on the bottom of the left ear cup. The device is designed in a way that allows sound to go out through the back of the ear cups, which usually have vents or perforations. The dials have a nice, tactile resistance to them, allowing for a smooth and gradual increase or decrease in values and a far smaller likelihood of accidentally damaging ones hearing by spinning either of them up too fast. The RIG 500 PRO HA includes a longer 1.5m audio cable with in-line volume that is ideal for PC gaming, but also works with console controllers. This means users wont be struggling to find any unseen dials or other doodads while theyre in the middle of a game. Beyond that observation, I was impressed with the sound quality of both headsets. The RIG 500 Pro HA is the PC model, and includes a longer cord and a mic/audio splitterit's also $10 USD more expensive than the other models. Picture 1 of 6. Fan Shop. As for the HX model, it looks somewhat tacky due to its excessively angular design and plastic build. Versus uses cookies to improve your experience on the site. The ear cushions are very soft and comfortable and the sound quality is much more bassier that i expected. Includes RIG audio dial sleeve for both Xbox and PS4|PS5 controllers. The headset can be plugged into any 3.5mm audio jack, and as such is compatible with PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC though the branding and drivers are geared specifically towards Xbox and PC platforms. An indicator shows you when the device has low battery. Product Description. When covered under the manufacturers warranty it is possible to get a replacement in the case of a malfunction. Whats puzzling to me however are a couple of differences that exist between these models despite their being direct siblings of each other. MSRP $69.99 $53.53 at Amazon $38.99. The device has an option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device. Ergonomically, the 500 easily outshines the 700 thanks to its pure simplicity. By continuing to browse our site, you agree to our use of cookies. Well, Ive spent the past couple of weeks with both of them, and Im happily ready to share my findings. 2021 CGMagazine Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. I like the fact you can flip the mic up to mute your voice instead of feeling around for a pesky mute button. If youre looking for a wired gaming headset for well under $100, the RIG 500 Pro HX is a decent choice, but there are appealing alternatives. I played some Psychonauts 2 with the headset on, and the game audio was clear and clean. SHOP Shop Shop The Exchange. By continuing to browse our site, you agree to our use of cookies. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for XBox 1 & PS4 Gaming Headset - RIG 500 Pro at the best online prices at eBay! The plastic HX, which is more flexible, feels much more comfortable. In doing these tests, we like to put our headsets through a bit of punishment to see how theyd withstand a normal gaming setup. The device comes with its own special case or pouch, which is useful for safe transportation. This comparison point is tricky because wired and wireless headsets inevitably come with unavoidable pros and cons, and the 500 Pro comes out looking better here just by nature of offering fewer features. Free shipping for many products! 3. has an over-the-ear form. As for the HX, its plastic build and visual design make it a less attractive headset than the Esports model, and its lack of accessories is a noticeable shortcoming. The 500 and 700 are so close to one another in this category that if not for the former headsets audio cable I doubt I could tell any difference in feel or comfort between them if I was blindfolded. The highest frequency at which device produces audio. High-resolution gaming audio lets you pinpoint your competition anywhere on the playing field. Is this a technical issue or is it just meant to sound like this? Both the ear-cups and headband were comfortable and easily adjustable if needed. The lowest frequency that the mic can pick up. A lower weight is also an advantage for home appliances, as it makes transportation easier, and for many other types of products. You like wired headsets The mic picks up some sound from the headset itself when flipped up to mute. The highest frequency that the mic can pick up. Mind you, the price difference isnt huge. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. Unknown. Mother's Day Gift Guide. It retails for. The flip to mute feature of the microphone is a great feature and saves you having to turn the mic off in the Xbox Audio settings. The sound stage allows you to quickly and effortlessly pinpoint sound cues and respond to threats without pause great if youre a competitive or pro-level player. This design provides very natural and accurate sound. It protrudes awkwardly from the front of any Xbox and is even more unsightly sticking out of the side of a laptop, potentially taking up valuable real-estate if your console or PC occupies a compact space. It works well . The 500 PRO EX includes the RIG audio dial cable. I purchased the Rig 500 Pro EX headset today in hopes to gain some build quality and audio quality compared to my Rig 400 HX headset but now I'm left with some issues that I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced? The earcups are completely separate from the black metal headband, clicking securely onto either side of the headband at one of three mounting holes. The headset includes an activation code for two years of Dolby Atmos spatial audio processing through the Dolby Access app for Windows 10 and Xbox. Download code is valid for a single activation on one device . Not ideal if youre munching through a pack of chips whilst you wait in the lobby of Call of Duty: Warzone, right? The microphone sounds fine for gaming purposes and Flip-to mute is good. As a result, they're compatible with any gaming device with a 3.5mm headset jack, including the current-gen and last-gen Xbox and PlayStation consoles, the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, any PC with a single audio jack, and any smartphone or tablet with a 3.5mm port. Fortnite highlights the RIG 500 Pro HXs relative lack of deep bass response, with the games bombastic soundtrack, shotgun blasts, and clunking of feet on wood floors sounding more poppy than full and robust. The device offers realistic experiences with deep bass sound for gamers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Character dialog was also easy to discern. RGB lighting allows you to choose between millions of colors and customize the look of your PC components. That slightly poor high-end may just be another way of saying how good the low-end is, though; the upper end of the spectrum isnt exactly bad, just not as good as what the headset was clearly designed for. A partnership with the HX model means this headset specifically has been designed to work with Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and Windows 10 and that means it works with Dolby Atmos. Battery power, or battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store. I still found the high-mids and highs to slightly overpower the lower frequencies, making the sounds of action just a bit too sharp to seem natural. The device sits tightly in place, creating an acoustic seal which reduces background noise and prevents your music from leaking out. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). RIG 500 Pro HX RIG 500 Pro HX Save product Hear every detail with this Plantronics RIG 500 PRO HX headset. It should be noted that the RIG 700 HX is a GameStop USA exclusive. That nice steel headband does a lot of work in keeping you comfortable for lengthy amounts of time if youve got glasses on. Microphone was terrible and my teammates can never hear me properly. Looking at it makes It seem like it shouldnt work so well, but it does, with both headsets staying firmly on my rather large dome without exerting excessive pressure, or alternatively, feeling too loose. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source. Adam Patrick Murray/IDG. Keep an eye on your inbox! Case in point, the receiver on the 700 models boom mic is also rhomboid in shape, with the RIG logo prominently etched in its plastic mic-hood shielding. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. They are very light and utilise the usual plantronics 3 size adjustment settings. RIG 500 PRO HX vs 500 HX. There is a control panel on the cable, so you can easily operate the device without having to interact with it. While they handle music and movies well thanks to Dolby Access, the real winner is the gaming . The bass synth notes and kick drum hits in our bass test track, The Knifes Silent Shout, dont rattle the head even at maximum volume, but they also dont distort. Nacon RIG 500 Review & 700 Pro Review in full. The 500 PRO HA features a lightweight plastic headband and lightweight exoskeleton earcups. It offers potential for maximum bass and loudness levels. $20.00. There is a control panel on the device body, so you can easily access the volume control or remote without having to interact with a cable or another device it's connected to. As of this writing the MSRP for the RIG 500 Pro HX (also known as the 500 Pro HC) and RIG 700 Pro HX are $69.99 USD (approx. 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