Home Blog Plantronics RIG Headset Review – HTG
Plantronics RIG Headset Review – HTG

Plantronics RIG Headset Review – HTG

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RIGStereoHeadsetReview_Header

MSRP: $99.99

Unboxing & Packaging:

The Plantronics RIG Gaming Headset comes in a display box that showcases the headset in a sturdy box that actually has a swinging cover to enable a consumer to view the headset directly without even having to open the box.  Inside the hard shell box, the RIG is tightly fastened, but easily removed from the package. I am not sure about you guys, but I HATE fighting new items just to simply remove them from the packing. It does include a “mix amp” to control game volume vs. chat volume as well as control the RIG headset’s custom modes. All in all, a great easy unboxing which can be seen in our unboxing video.

First Impressions & Appearance:

rig-surroundFrom the packing to the actual headset and mix amp, this headset does not shy away from looking amazing.  The ability to swing the front cover over allows you to see what you are getting before you even open the box.  The headset we were sent features a shiny and flat black finish with orange accents inside each ear.  The RIG Stereo Headset comes with an abundance of different cables depending on your use, which opens up the doors for almost any platform like PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and One, not to mention PC and Mobile too!

Features and Design: One of the first features I noticed was the boom mic for PlayStation and Xbox gaming use. Over the years I have had plenty experience with various mics and rarely do you see a fixed boom mic for gamers. This mic is set up for gamers with a fixed position mic, which I was sure would be an issue, but never proved to be a problem. As with most headsets, there is plenty of adjustment so that it fits heads of all shapes and sizes making it convenient for families or roommate type scenarios to share if needed. There is also this cool Mobile feature that allows you to connect your mobile device and take incoming calls without having to remove or change headsets. We have not tried this yet, but believe us, it’s on the list!

rig-surround-mixerMaterial / Comfort: Right out of the box you can tell that this unit is sturdy and purdy… well pretty. The headphones themselves are padded enough but not too much to make you feel like you are wearing a space helmet, and provide long term comfort while playing. I have endured some long sessions of Borderlands The Pre-Sequel lasting as long as 7 hours and have had very little issues with comfort. I even tend to wear one side slightly off of my ear so I can still hear my surroundings (family and such), which can often lead to an unusual discomfort brought on by the angle of the headset, but so far have not experienced this with the RIG. Almost the entire headset is wrapped in a soft braided fabric giving it a nice padded feel all the way around. The look and feel of this product are sleek and modern and allow for long term usage.

 

Performance / Audio Quality:

Now that we have settled in with the look and feel, it was time to put the RIG headset to the test. Immediately starting our game, we found ourselves fading into the game world leaving real world sounds behind. The quality of the 40mm driver  headset was astounding considering its price point. One flaw many headsets have these days is the lack of balance between the game audio and chat audio. This can be extremely troublesome for many of us out there. The mix amp that is provided cannot only correct any balance issues, but also has 3 different modes (pure, intensify and seismic) to select for your mood or game type. These settings vary in bass and treble and can change impact your game in a positive way if used correctly.  While using as a mobile headset only, this headset proved to not only provide great music quality, but also handled all of our phone calls with perfection as well. Only downside to using these as a mobile headset for calls… you are wearing a rather large headset and beyond perhaps looking a bit goofy, it is quite easy to talk louder then you would need or think with the noise cancelling comfort pads used on the unit.

Accessories: As with a lot of headsets these days, the RIG  comes with a variety of cables and uses USB to power up the control unit. It comes ready with all cables and connectors to use on your PC, Xbox 360 (Piggy back RCA or HDMI) , PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and even mobile. Each cable provides specific options needed for those scenarios. For example, the mobile cable comes with a microphone inline with the cable and also provides a button that also answers your calls rather then using your mobile phone itself and even has a sliding volume control to adjust mid call.

Weight: The RIG headset’s weight was never an issue. Overall it has a lightweight frame that allows long term wearing. I never got an exact weight on the unit, but I would say it is average if not a bit lighter.

rig-surround-system

Overall:

Pros: At a $99.00 MSRP and offering all that it does, it is surely a good “bang for your buck” headset. It proved to be lightweight and comfortable enough to wear for long gaming sessions or listening to multiple albums via our mobile phone. The flexibility of the cables and the ability to add your mobile phone into the gaming experience and answer calls on the fly without pausing your game or switching headsets was a pretty cool feature too. Most importantly, the sound quality of the RIG was above average to say the least. With 3 different modes, you can surely suit your mood needs with a simple press of a button.

Cons: At first glance, the cables can be a bit overwhelming. Looking at the diagram provided for proper connectivity is not any better. I like to think I am pretty savvy when it comes to cables and connecting them, yet I felt a bit of panic just looking at the options I had available. In the end it was much easier then it looked, but still could use some work to help users who are not above average hooking up stuff like this.

Our Product Review Score:

4.5 Product Review - HTG

 

 

The Plantronics RIG Stereo Headset is receiving a 4.5 out of a 5.0 thumby rating.  The only negative things I have to remind you guys of is the installation instructions. They were a bit confusing even to an experienced user. Beyond this, the headset is near flawless, especially at the MSRP of $99.00.

 

 

Final Thoughts:  Not being super familiar with Plantronics, this headset most likely would have not even made the list of possibilities, but boy would we have missed out. This headset competes with my current “elite” headset that I have paid almost 3 times the price for and that is no joke. The RIG from Plantronics is not only worth your time, but I am now curious to what else they have to offer, being how satisfied we were with the RIG, I can imagine they have some more tricks up there sleeve… tricks being amazing products that we hope to review soon!

 

There you go guys, our Plantronics RIG Stereo Headset review. If you have any questions or comments about this review, the headset in general, or anything , feel free to ask them on any of our social pages: (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram or our YouTube) and we will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible. While you’re on the above pages, be sure to like, follow and subscribe to stay up to date on the latest news and information that we have for you guys. Also be sure to follow us on Twitch so you can watch us noob it up on new and old games. We hope you find this review and all other things HTG to be useful and entertaining! Thanks for reading!

 

(HTG) Brian Dad, gamer, husband, and sometimes.. a noob.

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