Just last month, the Futurelooks team attended GOTTACON 2014 in Victoria, which happens to be British Columbia’s premiere gaming convention. This was the first time I’ve seen cosplay, gaming, and hardware vendors all in one place. Our shared booth featured Creative Labs, GIGABYTE, Kingston, NCIX, and GAMDIAS.
While we’ve worked with others on that list on more than one occasion, GAMDIAS is the newest manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories to hit the market (2012). GAMDIAS designs their products based on creativity and artistic beauty. However, the real inspiration seems to come from the adventure of Greek mythology. Their focus is all things gamer in an effort to provide the peripherals needed to bring down opponents as if the gamer is a champion of the gods.
One of the weapons of choice is the new EROS Surround Sound Gaming Headset. The headset is designed to be lightweight and easy to set up, providing ample audio for those tide changing battles. I took the headset for a week long adventure through various RPG, FPS, and MMO games. The question here is whether this is just another common item drop or something truly imbued.
Features and Specifications
There is a bit of a disconnect between the lingo of GAMDIAS product page and gamers. A few of the features are confusing. So, I’ll translate what you actually get in the EROS headset. These are real features users can expect:
- Virtual surround sound
- 40mm drivers (speakers)
- Enclosed ear cup for best audio performance
- Plush ear cups
- In line volume, speaker, and mic control
- Rotating microphone
- 9.8 feet of thickly braided cord
- Light weight polished plastic construction
- 2 inch wide by 1/2 thick head band
- No drivers needed – plug and play
Now, we have to clarify a few things. The first thing is that GAMDIAS needs to edit their product page. The features say the headset simulates 7.1 surround sound. This isn’t quite the case, given there is no in line processor that can create the 7.1 experience. But it can create very full surround stereo audio. The features also say the ear cups provide a vibration of sorts. There aren’t any internal components actually in the ear piece capable of creating that.
What’s in the Box?
The EROS has a simple package. There is a manual and a couple stickers. The cable and mic are already permanently attached which makes for quicker setup. The package doesn’t include any replacement ear pads but then there aren’t any regularly priced headsets at this price range that offer them. Still, they don’t really cost all that much to add.
Quick Look at the Headset
Again, the headset is made from light weight plastics. There are more joints than any visible screws. Even though the plastic does have some give and take, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to break from regular use. The ear cups are plush padded and fit against your head and not your ear pretty well. The inside cup is made from pretty durable material. It doesn’t quite touch your head when moving around so no worry on raw ears.
The headset also features an inline volume control that is large enough to be useful. We appreciate the added details including the durable braided cable and the velcro strap for keeping things tidy in our LAN bags.
Let’s move on to testing so we can hear how these sound (and feel) in real world situations.