Computer gaming gear for me? -- GameCom 788 Headset from Plantronics

Why would I pay more for gaming gear? 

The second in the series!

GameCom 788 headset from Plantronics at home gaming!

 

Introduction

Plantronics was kind enough to provide the Gamecom 788 for our review during Intel’s Lanfest Colorado 2014.  We intended to review this headset by fully jumping in.  This three day event would play host to our headset experience from start to finish.   Three full days of non-stop gaming is more than enough time to identify any possible short comings.  

ALL IN!

When I say we went all in I mean we installed drivers, fit the headset for the first time, enabled/disabled sound features ALL on day one of this event.  This would allow us to determine just how easy to this headset is to install and use.

The Gamecom 788 is a refresh of the very popular Gamecom 780 series.  It keeps a number of the traditional characteristics but there are minor changes (mostly aesthetic) that bring a fresh look to the headset.  It also maintains a similar price point which is a true win!   (oops did I give something away?)

Let's take a look at some of the features of this quality headset!

Sound Quality:  

Of course sound quality is one of the defining characteristics for any headset.  Most gaming headsets as you know are configured/dialed into gaming sound.  They do not always review well as a listening/reference sound design.  Although the sound is admirable for music/video it is not stellar.  I was hoping for a more immersive 3D sound stage in movies with the available 7.1 driver but that was not quite there and misses the mark.   

Music listening shows a lack of punch across the low end.  The bass although not booming/deep is still tight and responsive, not sloppy.  Highs are decent and crisp.  Mids can be soft at times.   

Comparing these to much more expensive headphones they will not hold up.  However at their price point they are a bargain for the sound field that is created.  In game however this set performed well.  More on this later!  

** NOTE **  Sound is very subjective.  I for instance prefer a tighter base with good response and these deliver.  I also prefer accurate and crisp but not overdone highs.  Some might call it warmer highs.  Finally I prefer an all range experience that gives good detail to voices, horns and guitars in the mids.  Some well known and very popular headphones/headsets sound absolutely horrible to me (read that as DR anythings).  

Microphone: 

The microphone is tremendous, great, amazing, good, stellar; I think that kind of covers it.  Really the mic may be the sole reason to purchase this headset.  I did an absolute no-no during a LAN session and disabled push-to-talk and enabled Voice Activation in TeamSpeak.   

Given this was a LAN party with over 250 people you would assume I ticked everyone off with the mic chiming in on every little thing.  The mic was tremendous.  The best thing I can say is that nobody noticed.  Not one person.  With a minimal amount of tuning I was able to easily enable Voice Activation and nobody knew!   

The noise cancelling microphone allowed them to hear me very well and not hear much if any of my surroundings.  This is a great departure from other headsets I have owned.  I would never even attempt Voice Activation during a LAN with any other set I have owned.  The flat boom style microphone swivels on the left ear to easily move it out of the way when needed.  The mic can be bent and holds just the right position.

Surround Sound: 

7.1 Surround through Dolby Technologies:  Ok overall in game sounds are pretty good with the explosions and bullets and tanks and …  But can the Gamcom 788 deliver immersive play with the available 7.1 surround and only two drivers?  

I will admit that I have been partial to so called TRUE 5.1 headsets in the past with multiple drivers per ear cup.  My HPA2s from TurtleBeach have been a long time standard for in game positional audio/data.   

Each ear cup holds a single 40mm driver.  So can two drivers give you that same positional edge?  Sadly for me with this headset no.  Maybe others were able to experience a fully immersive experience but for me they fall behind my older HPAs.  Don’t get me wrong they were not terrible (oddly enough positional data was better with the available 7.1 driver turned off) but they were just not there.  Positional data is reasonable but not great.  The available 7.1 selection pretty much enables a slight hall effect that seems to muddy the sound experience across the spectrum. 

Comfort:

Earpiece/cup design:  The earpieces are square in shape and at first I was both excited and worried.  The excitement came from the velour like fabric, which wraps the ear pads.  This is always a great addition for me as this fabric tends to prevent that annoying sweaty ear problem that pleather or leather ear cups tend to give.   

The worry comes in the shape of the ear cup.  Since this is designed as an over-the-ear headset the square ear cups did not seem like they would be large enough to be comfortable since they obviously would not contour to the ear.  Turns out that worry was all for nothing.  The over the ear space is quite good and although not large they are still comfortable.

The headset was a little tight out of the box.  I have to say that they did become comfortable/conform to my head in a short amount of time.  This is also a great thing since I did not bring a separate headset with me to the LAN.  Again we were "all in" for this test.  

The headset has a number of adjustment stops on the metal ear cup swivels.  This allowed us to adjust the headset to a number of peoples liking.  I still think they err on the side of smaller but with the Kleenex box trick they did loosen up.  At the LAN whenever I took a break I placed them around the base of my monitor stand and they started to feel more and more comfortable through the event.  All in all they provide great comfort, you just may need to work at it a little (just like any headset).

On Ear Controls:

On the left ear cup is a roller rocker for volume.  This is an easy to reach/use rocker switch not a rotational switch.  It works well and is easy to find while in game.  The rocker adjusts the volume on your PC as well as the headset.  The mic mute slider switch is located on the same ear but slightly above the volume rocker.  It too is easy to find during gaming.

The Cord:

The single orange cord is just over 6 feet in length and has a rubberized feel.  The cord does not have a braided covering.

Connectivity Options:

This may be the single biggest gripe I have with the Gamecom 788 Headset from Plantronics.  Setup was much simpler with the reduced user selectable options.  However with this set I can not use it on anything other than a PC.  Since that is the main use it is not too bad with one exception.  I have a great sound card that I am sure is much better than the available USB interface card provided in the headset.  Given the USB interface bypasses the great on-board audio, I am unable to use many of the internal cards in game features (ASUS). 

Build Quality/Construction

The headset seems very rugged.  The steel adjustment poles on each earcup are attached to a a swivel for comfort while not wearing the headset on the ears.  The plastic is as well done as plastic can be.  It does not distract from the overall sturdiness of the headset.  The choice of colors (a redish orange and black) make the headset stand out.  A number of people wanted to try the headset just based upon looks.  They are well built for the price.

The Final Word

Would I buy this headset?  At the current price point of $55.00 - $75.00 they are a steal!  So yes!  They are a good quality gaming headset with good comfort, a tremendous microphone, and reasonable in game positional data.  For music and videos they are above average but not stellar.

I would truly recommend this headset to anyone needing a good microphone experience at just about any level.  They will provide a very solid performance for online gaming, and especially online audio experience in Skype, VOIP or Chat.

I guess the strongest compliment I can give this headset is that I am still using it.  I have not felt the need to go back to my HPA 2s.  The mic really is tremendous.  I even use the headset to record tutorials in cam studio.

Logitech G13 -- The little keyboard that could!

Computer gaming gear for me?

Why would I pay more for gaming gear if I am not a gamer?
What makes gaming gear different?

This new series will introduce you to computer gaming peripherals and products and answer these questions.

I would like to introduce a long running favorite of mine as the first in this series.  The logitech G13 Gaming keyboard.

Logitech G13:  Logitech G13 Home page

The first thing you will notice about the link above is that it is part of the gaming series of keyboards from Logitech.  The very next thing you should notice is that it is like no other "normal" keyboard.

You are introduced to a picture of a keyboard that looks like this:

Logitech G13

There are a number of differences in this keyboard that stand out like the built in palm rest, the joystick, ergonomic styling, multi-purpose lcd display, light key, and finally the keys are all just numbered from G1..G22.  So what does all this mean to you the consumer?  Let me go over each of the features of this keyboard in detail and try and help understand the impact this device can make outside of gaming.

Keys

Key Layout

Geek Speak:  The keys on the G13 are quite different.  Instead of a number pad or qwerty layout the keys are simply key G1..G22.  The reason for this is that each of these keys are meant to be mapped and macros applied as needed.  G1 could be the letter A or the number 1, <ctrl><alt><delete> or even a macro for spell selection in WoW.  That is the beauty of this design.  Gamers use this feature to make sure that each of the normal in game tasks like running forward/backward/left/right and weapons/spell selection, are mapped to the same finger location no matter the game they are playing.  This is the reason for the smallish indentations on the G4, G10, G11 and finally G12 keys.  These indentations allow you to correctly orient your hand without looking.  This is just as important to a gamer (who does not want to take his/hers eyes of the screen to find which key to hit) as it is to the touch typist.  There are even three M modes the keyboard can be placed in changing your mappings in game for on foot, in vehicle or flying a jet for instance.

Layman's Lingo:  So there are 22 keys that you may map to anything that you wish like cut, paste, copy, delete, backspace, <alt><tab>, ...  The G13 has a trick up its sleeve though.  Those 22 keys and the two keys near the thumb and the joystick can be mapped 3 different times based upon which M button is pressed at the time.  There are three M buttons labeled M1..M3 strangely enough.  You might think of the M buttons as Memory buttons similar to your calculator and or Mode buttons.  It is all a matter of how you are using them.  This gives you the ability to change the keyboard modes to whichever task you are doing. 

Macros/Scripting

Geek Speak:  Macros are where the true power of the G13 shines through.  Mapping multi-key selections and even scripting each key to do exactly what you need is priceless.  There are three types of mappings that can happen.  Mapping a single character/number to a key, mapping a recorded macro to a single key and mapping a script to a key.  The latter allows you to script keys for things like adjusting lighting in Lightbox.  Truly a versatile device.

Layman's Lingo:  Let's talk about the ability to not only give a key a simple single key mapping like A, B, ... but also do something called macros.  If your job requires the use of word or multi-word select (document editing for instance) you could simply record a macro to a single key that does those functions the same way each time.  Multi key combinations are run by a single hand/finger while your other hand remains on your mouse.  Think of being able to word select, line select, add headings, bold, italicize, and increase/decrease font size with a single button press for each of those tasks.  This can speed productivity quite a bit.  In excel you could map your favorite functions to a single key stroke.  While editing photos you could map lighting corrections up/down to two well known keys.  All of this allows you to keep focus on the document, spreadsheet, photo.  You no longer have to change focus from what you are doing to find/select a menu item or function.

Backlighting

Geek Speak:  All keys and the LCD are backlit for use in low lighting.  Color selection for backlighting is phenominal as there are 16 million colors to choose from.  It is always nice to be able to match backlighting colors of your peripherals as needed.  Each of the three modes can have a different color assigned to easily discern which mode you are in.  Backlighting can be disabled/enabled using the light key to the upper right.

Layman's Lingo:  Each key is back lit which makes them easier to use in all environments. In fact the entire keyboard can be lit with three different colors based upon which mode or memory position you are in.  This allows a quick glance to see the color and change modes if need be.  Low light conditions are no longer an issue.  Color selections are awesome.  If you want your keys lit pink you can do that.  Backlighting can be disabled/enabled using the light key to the upper right.

Durability

Geek Speak:   The Logitech G13 like all gaming devices is set up for longer duty cycles.  I was unable to find the key duty cycle for the G13 at this time but I have personally used the device for four years running now without failure.  The overall construction is nice and seems durable.  The rubberized usb cable is thick and does not kink.


Layman's Lingo:  Gaming gear has to be durable, and comfortable for longer gaming sessions.  The G13 is no exception.  The keys are built for a longer lifecycle than many standard keyboards.  Gamers are notorious for their rough treatment of equipment and the devices they use need to be up to the task. The G13 certainly is.  This should last you a very long time and be comfortable to use throughout the duration.

LCD

Geek Speak:   The LCD backlighting changes with the key backlighting.  There is no zone based lighting available.  One color for each of the three memory mappings for keys and LCD alike.  The LCD is easy to read and offers a number of options.  BF3 was designed from the start to use Logitech's LCD api.  You can select from a number of display options for this game.  Others are following suit.  The display is easily readable but NOT high definition.

Layman's Lingo:  The display on the G13 changes colors just like the key back lighting does.  Again telling you easily which mode you are in.  There are built in applications delivered with the G13 that allow you to display a number of things on the G13 LCD.  Of course you can display in game information like your score, team score, bullets left, and a number of other things programed per game.  However there are some daily use applications that make a lot of sense.  You can display the time, date, time and date, song title currently playing, cpu temperatures, memory left on your computer, and so on.  There are more applications available everyday.

Ergonomics

Geek Speak:  The contoured ergonomic design of the G13 is to be praised.  Longer gaming sessions are very comfortable.  This allows you to game longer without fatigue.  The placement of the thumb buttons and the joystick allow for ease of use (left handed only).  I have my thumbstick mapped to throw grenades with a slight bump/flick to the right.  This makes common in game tasks easy and quick to complete.  Mapping crouch, prone to the larger G20 and G22 keys also makes that very quick and easy to do.  The (WASD) indentations on the G4, G10, G11, G12 make for an easy find without looking if for some reason you had to lift your hand.  Large and small hands are accommodated well.

Layman's Lingo:  The Logitech G13 is used in long gaming sessions/parties.  It needs to be functional and comfortable.  The design of the G13 lends itself well to periods of longer use.  An ergonomic wrist/palm rest is built into the device.  The keys are then gently sloped away from the wrist rest to allow your hand/fingers to gently/naturally rest on the keys.  Your thumb falls conveniently on the thumb button to the left of the joystick.  I have very large hands and the G13 is exceptionally comfortable to use.  Upon recommendation, a number of friends have purchased the G13 and all have raved how comfortable it is.  This is a large range of hand sizes now using the keyboard and all are very happy with their purchase.

The only difficulty with the Logitech G13 is the setup for left hand use only.   I imagine you could use it in your right hand but I do not think it would be nearly as comfortable.

Included Software

 Geek Speak:  The included software allows you to easily manipulate each key.  There are profiles available from the gamer community that are a great place to start.  Using an existing profile means someone else has already done most of the work by labeling common functions and you can simply assign those to the keys you use.  User profiles can be stored ON the G13 and or on the PC.  This allows for portability in gaming as your profiles travel with the device.

Layman's Lingo:   The included software allows users to assign/map each key independently.  The software moderate to easy to use and is very powerful.  At first try mapping a few keys and go into something like Microsoft Word to verify the keys do what you want them to.  You create what is called profiles.  You can create a profile for MS-Word, MS-Excel, Games, ...  These profiles can be manually selected on the device itself.

Cost

At the time of this post the G13 is a steal on amazon.com at $57.70.  This price does vary and I have seen it as low as the price listed above and as high as $75.00.  Even at $75.00 I would still recommend the G13.  At $58.00 it truly is a steal.

Summary

The G13 although designed as a gaming peripheral is actually quite a time saver in every day tasks.  Once you take the time to map the keys and learn to use the keyboard, repetitive keyboard tasks will become a breeze.  All of this while maintaining focus on whatever it is you are doing.  This may not seem like a big selling point but saving seconds per each keystroke can speed you through to task completion and do it comfortably as well.

Gaming on the G13 is improved dramatically.  So many games require different mappings for the same thing.  The G13 allows you to map those common tasks to the same key ALWAYS!

I would highly recommend people check out the the Logitch G13.  It will not be for everyone but those looking to speed up their days will be pleased I am sure.