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Plantronics GameCom Pro 1

Sam's ears are in for a treat...

Even before trying out the dull silver GameCom Pro 1, Plantronics had already earned themselves a couple of bonus points. Rather than encase their products in vacuum sealed plastic that required both the strength of the Hulk and the tough skin of the Thing to open, both headphones were packaged in a plastic case that actually splits apart with minimal force. A revelation which allowed me to enjoy my games without a sticking plaster or sprained shoulder muscle.

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The GameCom Pro 1 isn't the most beautiful piece of headgear known to man, preferring a functional aesthetic to one concerned with flash looks and smooth surfaces. Made entirely out of plastic the build quality isn't as sturdy as I would have preferred it to be. The set has a tendency to creak when handled which gives me concerns as to its long-term durability. The ear-pieces also dangle from the arms with an alarming amount of movement. While this pays dividends when it comes to positioning the cans comfortably over your ears they seem like a potential area for breakage. The headband on the other hand, is the sturdiest part of the whole set. Featuring a flexible rubbery headband slung under a stiff plastic arch the top of the headset sits lightly and comfortably on top of the head. Any adjustments to the position of the earphones are made by sliding them up and down the vertical arms that protrude from the base of the top arch. While there are plenty of incremental positions to set the earphones at the action is again basic, although there's little worry about things breaking here as these stress points are confidently engineered. Overall the GameCom Pro 1 felt somewhat flimsy and didn't posses the kind of firm construction that I was expecting from a headset of this price.

For a bloke who often has trouble with baseball caps, even when the most extreme set of holes is used, the generous size of the GameCom was a pleasant surprise. This generosity in measurements is taken to a bit of an extreme with the cord. Stretching out to a bewildering ten feet in length, the GameCom may result in a bit of cable-clutter if you sit right in front of your PC, yet if you are fortunate enough to have your machine linked up to a giant telly and sit back in comfort yards from the computer then the GameCom should stretch all the way to your seat.

The mic assembly isn't going anywhere as it's is firmly embedded into the left hand earphone. If you like the freedom to move your microphone around to either side of your headset the Plantronics is going to score a negative point here. The mic has about 130 degrees of vertical movement to it, so it can either be stowed up away out of sight or lowered down far enough to where the end of the arm would be level with all but the most horse-faced of individuals. The end of the boom-mic is made up of about an inch and half of bendy rubbery plastic, so you can set the mic's position to pretty much exactly where you want it. However, if you like to have a smoke while playing your games the boom will get in the way unless it is angled away from the face. Another minor issue for selected users is the discomfort spectacle wearers may feel after extended periods of use. The pressure that keeps the headset stuck to your head is predominately applied around the top of each headphone, so the arms of your glasses will be pressed into the side of your head. Of course loosening up the adjusters alleviates this problem but you could be in for a painful episode if you drop your cigarette into your lap and look down while trying to extricate it from the important part of your anatomy the burning butt has lodged itself into. The soft foam that lines each headphone is very comfortable over long periods of time and doesn't cause any more than the smallest inevitable amount of hot-ear syndrome.

About two feet down from the headphones there's a volume control device. Shaped like an ellipsoid cigar, the control has a simple volume adjuster attached to long, slender piece of plastic which is both easy to find and use. There's clip on the back if you want to attach the control somewhere, possibly the lapel on your bathrobe or other chosen gaming apparel. Next to the volume control there's a little button to mute the microphone, which handily lights up red when the world is currently being spared from your vocal stylings.

The Plantronics plugs in via a USB cable which means no mucking about with cables at the back of your computer. Using the Windows sound control applet it's a simple process to get the headset configured and an equally simple process to disable it if you want sounds to be played out of your normal speaker setup. I did have issues with a few games as far as forcing them to use a particular outlet was concerned but this isn't the fault of the headset, rather of Windows. Generally speaking though the Plantronics was easy to configure and use, allowing gamers to concentrate on organizing ambushes and flag runs rather then mic output levels and the like.

The mic works really well. Testing it out over Ventrillo with another computer into the room logged into the same channel and playing the sound through the speakers I was able hear myself very clearly. Even with the persistent head cold that has been bothering me for the last week or so. Other players found my voice both clear and free of any distortions and simple to understand which is not always easy to do thanks to my unusual accent. As the two most important parts in any gaming headset are clarity and sound reproduction the ease with which the GameCom handles voice comms is a boon to any gamer.

Any money that may have been saved from the assembly hopefully all wound up in the DSP unit that sits near the end of the USB cable. Not only does this external DSP impose no pressure on your CPU it should make for a more impressive sound. And judging by the crisp sounds coming out of the speakers this certainly seems to be the case. Playing a game with headphones on has a tendency to be a more immersive experience anyway but with the GameCom plonked onto my ears the games I played sounded so good that I could seriously consider using them for all kinds of games, not just ones with voice comms. The F.E.A.R. demo, for example, was even more effective through the headphones then my normal 5.1 speaker set-up. The proximity of the sound helps to create greater tension and atmosphere and while I did lose out the positional aspect of the sounds this is balanced out by the increased clarity and definition. I heard all kinds of incidental sound effects while playing WoW that I had never previously heard in the last six months of my time with the game.

With the GameCom's bass-boost enabled the lower frequencies really packed a decent punch without being too overbearing. I thought the higher frequencies were a little flat without some adjustment, but overall the GameCom recreates a good sound-field which more then adequalty handles the wide ranges of frequencies which are used in games. Music, both in games and through my media player also sounded good. The higher fidelity of the music was not as well reproduced; you can certainly appreciate that the GameCom is designed to be used with games rather than as an audiophile's piece of kit. As multimedia headphones the GameCom is lacking with a slightly cavernous tone to music that flattens out music and makes the listener aware that they are listening through a pair of gaming headphones. But as far as gaming is concerned, this enclosed sound effect works very well and regardless of the somewhat artificial nature of music reproduction details were again easy to pick out. What the GameCom lacks in organic aptitude it makes up for in clarity and precision. Which is more important when you consider how important it is to be able to accurately hear your team mate while under concerted fire from the entire opposing team.

I was most impressed with the sound recording capabilities of the GameCom Pro 1, and coupled with impressive playback from the earphones this reviewer grew to really appreciate the GameCom Pro 1. If I didn't have reservations about the durability of the headset's construction and if the sonic capabilities had a more vibrant presence then I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the GameCom to anyone. As it stands it is still a very capable piece of equipment which will prove a boon to anyone who regularly uses voice comms in their games and is looking for something that sounds very agreeable at the same time.

74%

1. I've had one of these for about a year now, and I'd have to say, even though it feels cheap, it's pretty sturdy... it's been stepped on a couple of times by my Dr. Marten's, and it's still in one piece. Which is good.

   Falcon Tuesday, 16 January 2007, 22:27:47

2. my thought is good

   swati Saturday, 23 August 2008, 14:47:36

3. it is a good story i lick it

   swati Saturday, 23 August 2008, 14:52:0

4. it is a good story i lick it

   swati Saturday, 23 August 2008, 14:52:1