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.