Source: Plantronics
Gaming headsets have typically favoured form over function. They are often garish to look at and don't even get me started on started on the recent trend of fitting RGB lighting to everything. Fortunately, the Plantronics’ RIG 800LX is free from all the necessary decoration and bling, and that is already a win in my books. Its comfort and sound quality is also not something to be scoffed at judging from the experience I had using it.
Design
Despite being one of the most restrained-looking gaming headsets, there's no mistaking the Plantronics RIG 800LX for being anything other than a gaming headset. Its bulky aggressive design, sharp angles, and elongated hex slots are dead giveaways.
Unlike most headphones that use sliding mechanisms or even rods with detents for adjustment, the Plantronics RIG 800LX has a peculiar system that requires users to remove the individual ear cups. The elastic headband and the ear cups are all removable. To adjust the headset, I had to pop the ear cups out entirely from one of the three pre-determined holes on each side first. Once I found a good fit, I had to pop them back into the desired slots.
This is what the headset looks like when you pop off the ear cups and headband.
The headset fit well and snugly on my head. But one thing to note is that with just three positions for adjustments on each side, there isn't much in the way of options if you find that these positions don't fit you well. Best to try it out first at the shop before committing.
Furthermore, while it is a relatively simple task of removing the ear cups to adjust the height of the headset, it does leave the cups hanging precariously from a single wire while you decide which slot to fix the cups onto.
The left ear cup comes with a power / wireless sync switch, volume and game chat balance control knobs, and a micro-USB charging port. The right ear cup sports an equalization (EQ) mode switch on its underside. Due to the size of the cups, it can be slightly awkward to find the controls at first but it doesn’t take long to get used to them.
The wireless transmitter is small and portable
The RIG 800LX naturally comes with a wireless transmitter with it being a wireless headset for the PC and Xbox One. The great thing about the transmitter is how compact it is and the convenience of its plug-and-use setup cannot be understated. No fussy setups required.
Comfort
I was initially quite skeptical about the floating headband design but it turned out to be one of the more comfortable gaming headsets I’ve tried in some time. This comfort mainly comes down from the RIG 800LX’s lightweight construction.
The ear cups themselves were also very comfortable after the initial adjustments have been made. The ear cups are made from a soft and breathable material that is reminiscent of that from Alienware’s AW988. Although this allows your ears to "breathe" and prevents heat from building up, it does however mean that the RIG 800LX is prone to sound leakage.
The combination of the suspended headband and cushy earcups blends perfectly with the headband resting on the top of the head gently allowing the ear cups to be less constricting on the sides of the head while still making the headset secure enough such that it does not slip off. I was able to game with it for several hours straight without getting a headache, hot spots developing on the head, or have it stifle my ears.
Audio Quality
The Plantronics RIG 800LX uses 40mm large dynamic drivers.
Comfortable design aside, the audio quality of RIG 800LX is superb though not without some issues. The 40mm dynamic driver is able to produce sounds with great clarity. This is especially true for mid-range sounds like voices as well as most instruments. I tested this with Pharrel William's Happy and his voice was crisp and clear.
Out of the box, the bass can be slightly muted compared to its treble but this is easily solved with the different EQ modes available on the RIG 800LX. The Seismic mode amps up the bass, the Intensify mode sharpens treble, while the Vocal Focus mode does exactly as it says and highlights dialogue. The Vocal Focus mode is especially great for dialogue-heavy movies and games while Seismic mode naturally works best for music like dance and rock, as well as action games.
The bass does get slightly distorted on higher volumes but it is something that can be easily missed, especially when you are too busy in a firefight in Fortnite and Overwatch. However, the distortion does become more noticeable when listening to bass-heavy music like Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem OST.
Features
The headphones support Dolby Atmos surround sound technology.
Although the RIG 800LX is marketed as a PC and Xbox One headphone, it works on the PS4 as well. The same principle of plug-and-use works just as well on the PS4 as it does on the PC or Xbox One. The only thing missing for the PS4 is that it does not support Dolby Atmos.
Speaking of Dolby Atmos, the RIG 800LX comes with an activation code for Dolby Atmos at no extra cost. Simply download Dolby Access on either the Xbox or PC and enter the code there. Dolby Atmos lets you experience three-dimensional surround sound and adds a depth and width that is hard to find on other headsets. I found myself immersed in the sounds, especially in movies where a knock on a door to the left feels like you are hearing it in person.
Unfortunately, the list of games that support Dolby Atmos is still limited. There's only Overwatch, Gears of War 4, and Battlefield 1 to name a few. You can check out the full list of games that are Dolby Atmos supported on Dolby’s official site.
Microphone
Now, this is the section where the RIG 800LX disappointed me. The design of the mic is sharp like the rest of the headset. Flipping it downwards activates the mic while pushing it back up deactivates it — that's really nifty if you need to pause for a moment to speak to someone else while playing. The mic itself was also flexible enough for it to be adjusted. That is all pretty standard fare for headsets these days.
The mic features an angular design that fits the overall aesthetics of the headset
However, the mic's noise cancelling function wasn't effective. People could easily hear the ambient noises in my room. This is made worse by the sound leakage from the ear cups which would be picked up by the mic as well.
Battery Life
Microphone aside, the battery life was quite impressive for the RIG 800LX. The headset itself promises 24-hour battery life, while that in itself is hard to verify, I was able to use it for about 4 hours a day and only got a low-battery warning alert on the fifth day. While it does not mathematically hold up to 24 hours, it is still a powerhouse when it comes to battery life.
Conclusion
A great headphone let down by a peculiar adjustment headband and less than stellar mic noise-cancelling.
The RIG 800LX is a comfortable and long-lasting headset. Its audio quality is superb for everyday use with vocals crisp and instrumentals solid, barring the occasional distortion as you headbang to some heavy metal.
Unfortunately, the microphone and its weak noise-cancelling feature leaves much to be desired and can be a deal-breaker if you are planning to use it heavily for multiplayer gaming or just chatting with someone on Skype. Your team-mates might get annoyed and put you on mute.
Additionally, while I found the headset comfortable enough, note that its limited adjustment system could mean that it won't fit you as well as it did for me. As is the case with any personal audio gear, our recommendation is to go try it out in stores if at all possible.
In closing, if you mainly play on your own and just want a comfortable headset with great audio fidelity, the Plantronics RIG 800LX, which is priced at S$199, is a good pick and well worth your consideration.
For the same price range, you can also consider the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 for something more versatile with its Xbox Wireless connectivity and Bluetooth functionality for PC and mobile devices. However, if gaming and music are your priorities, the RIG 800LX is, in my opinion, the better choice.
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