High finish standard for the price
7.1 surround is handy in a fight
Bass response can be overwhelming
Earth’s scratchiest mic sound
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Corsair, 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Steelseries, Logi G, et al seem to refresh their product lineups every 17 minutes, keeping their names constantly in the gaming audio conversation by throwing massive r&d and marketing budgets at you. And that’s a good thing - it means better headsets for everyone. But did you ever cast your eye beyond the familiar names? 𝕴Have you dared, in your bravest moments, to peruse the gaming headset market on Amazon?
If so, you may have been met with a sensation similar to travelling to an alternate universe. They’re recognisable as 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:gaming headsets sure, but you don’t recognise a single brand name here. Yo💛u’re in the Twilight Zone now, with only off-brand RGB strips lighting the way. It’s here, in this most mysterious corner of the market, where you might encounter the EKSA E1000.
Compatible with PC and PS4 and offering not just the obligatory RGB but also 7.1 virtual surround sound, the E1000’s promising a lot for a very reasonable $40/£30. So how does it reach that price point? What tradeof𒉰fs does it make, and do they matter? That’s what we’re here to find out.
Well, I hope you like RGB. There’s a strip running around the outer ear in a hexagonal formati𓆏on, and the EKSA logo’s also backlit with it. The finish around that logo is pretty pin-sharp, especially considering the price, and the rainbow-style program is attractive enough.
However, the RGB on this model can’t be programmed - or even tur🏅ned off. This is definitely something to keep in mind before taking the plunge, particularly if you’re a slave to a particular colour scheme running through your gaming setup.
The outer design’s going for a ‘bolted on’ look, as though two heavy-duty metal plates have been forged onto the outside, but in fact, we’re looking at a 100% plastic construction here except for the inner headband frame itself, which looks and feels like brushed alum😼inium.
The finish is better than you’d ✃expect for the price, and it’s elevated by a really chunky braided USB cable that looks like it could withstand an attack from a pair of garden shears. Don’t try that, though.
Unusually for modern gaming headsets though are the controls which are inline on the cable itself - nothing fancy, just a volume whee🍃l and a mic mute switch. It’s not haute couture, but it does the job.
So far, EKSA’s low-cost option is holding up alright under scrutiny. On the spec sheet and in your hꦅands, there are no glaring issues, only obvious but reasonable concessions to the price point.
The pleather earcups around the drivers on this model cover chunky foam cushions, but ꦦto the touch, you can t♊ell these aren’t high-grade memory foam. The stitching and finish are all exemplary, but the materials they contain simply aren’t the comfiest.
Oddly, the openings around the drivers are actually quite small too, as the cushioned pads sit partially on your eไars, rather than around them. That means on one hand there’s no danger of your ear pressing up directly against the driver, but on the other, you get the inherent discomfort of the headset’s clamping force being applied to your ear, rather than your head. Depending on the size of your ears, of course, your mileage may vary.
When you start digging into audio qualit🦄y though, you start to get a sense of where these plucky cups’ limits are compared with their more established peers. In an online game setting, the 7.1 surround is very capable, creating a wide soundspace that makes it easy to pick out player positions from footsteps or gunfire.
There are absolutely bags full of bass response, too. These certainly aren’t going to undersell a grenade going off in your vicinity, or the bombast of a large-scale battle. So for audio enjoyability, the E1000 has its moments🍎.
However, the 7.1 surround is an always-on proposition, and in tandem with all that shouty low end, it can muddy up the sound pretty quickly. That means it’s a🐬 bit of a specialist - decent when you’re in the thick of a fight, less good when you want to relax with a podcast or pick out the finer details of the Civ VI score.
But the real Achilles heel lies in the E1000’s꧅ mic. I’ve never heard anything quite like it. Somewhere between a budget retailer's walkie-talkie circa 1996 and a taxi dispatch, it’s scratchy beyond b𝓡elief and always sounds like the gain’s peaking, even when the mic capsule’s positioned well away from your mouth. To give credit where it’s due, the mic arm is really pliable and stays where you position it, but this output quality isn’t going to win you any friends on Discord.
It’s worth noti𒊎ng that other users have reported technical issues like electrical noise through one or both drivers, indicating shielding or wiring issues. Since this sample unit had no such issues though, it can’t be marked down on those grounds.
As much as one wants to root for the plucky outsider, this budget model’s genuine qualities are accompꦫanied by downsides that should give you serious pause for thought before putting it in your basket.
With a snug fit favouring small ears and a bright, RGB-laden appearance, it’s perhaps best suited to younger gamers who’ll find the earcups more comfortable and aren’t yet afflicted with audiophile-like🦋 concerns over EQ response. Although the mic quality is a real letdown and there are marked comfort issues, it’s still a respectable headset at the price.
This model’s compatible with PC and PS4 via USB connection, so we split our time between Steam games and that archaic black box of Sony’s yesteryear creations during🥀 our tes🗹ting for this mic.
As always, a mix of game audio, podcasts, and music, all of different genres, were pumped through in ord💜er to pick out the drivers’ characteristics. Battle royales like PUBG are especially good for testing surround sound, since🎀 pinpointing players by audio is such a crucial mechanic.
For mic testing, we head into a Discord server for a chat and to har💫vest feedback, and also record directly int☂o Ableton using the mic as the audio input source, so we can hear the raw audio isolated.
You can read more about 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:how we test gaming headsets and how we make all our recommendations in the full 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.
If you have the opportunity to spend a bit more money, and you want to go wireless, then check out our guides to the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best wireless gaming headsets, as well as the top contenders for 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:PS5 wireless headsets and 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Xbox Series X wireless headsets.
Phil Iwaniuk is a multi-faceted journalist,♒ video producer, presenter, and reviewer. Specialising in PC hardware and gami💃ng, he's written for publications including PCGamesN, PC Gamer, GamesRadar, The Guardian, Tom's Hardware, TechRadar, Eurogamer, Trusted Reviews, VG247, Yallo, IGN, and Rolling Stone, among others.
