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.
Setup and Test Configuration Evaluation
For full audio control, users need to download the EROS application from the headset webpage. Unfortunately, Norton detected some files as WS.Reputation.1 risks though not viruses. Obviously, GAMDIAS needs to clean up some code. Otherwise, simply plug the headset in an available USB 2.0 or 3.0 port. Out of five motherboards tested, Windows actually wouldn’t properly detect the headset on every USB port. This is a known USB driver issue with Windows 7 and 8 that can often fool users in to thinking their headset is faulty. Rebooting your system is most likely the answer.
I tested the EROS headset with Diablo III and Reaper of Souls, Battlefield 4, Starcraft 2, a couple HD movies, and every genre of music (classical, club, trance, rock, cinematic, and composition). Each step was evaluated with and without an equalizer, as well as with and without bass boost.
Scoring Results
Proper headsets need to have a good comfortable design (ear cups and head bands), be made with good quality materials, produce good audio performance, come with great features (noise cancelling, controller, etc.) and offer an eye pleasing presentation. With that in mind, each segment is scored 1 through 10 (10 being best). Scores are relative to the headsets we are comparing against.
The EROS sounds good with and without any EQ assistance. While it didn’t quite sound like anything that was a 7.1 channel, the stereo result is quite nice. In fact, using EQ and bass boost settings, the headset sounds even better while remaining clear throughout the volume levels. All this said, RPG and MMO gamers will most likely find basic configuration plenty and action gamers will relish the EQ and bass boost.
The comfort of the EROS had some mixed feelings. While the headset uses very lightweight plastics and plush padding, the shape of the cups and frame actually put more pressure on my ears rather than the headband. I would say the weight distribution is about 60 (ears) and 40 (head). My limit was just over two hours. This means youthful heads will no doubt last longer.
Overall, the headset held its own in this tough field, scoring its way close to the top overall.
Final Thoughts
The GAMDIAS EROS gaming headset is a surprisingly decent stereo headset. The 40mm drivers help create a rich stereo surround experience. Without a capable inline 7.1 codec, the best you can get is high quality stereo surround output. I was especially pleased that the headset supports bass boost without any noticeable distortion which gives it a better range of supporting many different kinds of games. The EROS is also very easy to setup which is all too often an overlooked feature.
There were a couple of minor annoyances. Despite the advertised features, at no point did the headset create a noticeable 7.1 simulated experience nor any vibration, which was kind of a let down. We know the flagship headset creates vibration, so perhaps it was editing oversight. Either way, if you’re going to market a feature, it had better have it. Also, the red LED backlit inline controller doesn’t indicate when your mic or speakers are muted. You’ll have to rely on Windows to show you, which isn’t easy to spot of course. We gamers like our indicators to save time and troubleshooting.
Compared to the Thermaltake Cronos, Turtlebeach EarForce, or Corsair Raptor HS40 headests, I like the GAMDIAS EROS audio more. Like most any enthusiast, what sells it for me is that the EROS offers a clear stereo experience, decent comfort, very lightweight materials, a 3-meter cable so you don’t have to sit next to your gaming system, and an affordable price point of only $59.99 US/CA. With a few HQ edits and a couple minor updates, the EROS could potentially own the $60 segment.
Pros
- Good quality audio (no noise)
- Easy plug and play connectivity
- 40mm driver that brings the action
- Very lightweight compared to comparable headsets
- Nicely braided 3.0 meter long cord
- Good microphone sensitivity
Cons
- Stated features weren’t there
- Inline control doesn’t indicate functionality
Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10.0
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