RIG 700 Pro HX Headset GBAtemp review
Hardware

Name: RIG 700 Pro HX Headset
Item: RIG 700 Pro HX Headset
Rating: 8.6
Author: Chary

Product Information:

Official Store: https://www.gamestop.com/accessories/xbox-series-x/headsets/products/rig-700-pro-hx-wireless-headset-with-dolby-atmos-for-xbox-series-x/11111809.html

Rig yourself up with a headset that's light as air.

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Whenever I was given the choice between headset or dedicated headphones, I always chose the latter. Never being one comfortable for online chatting with randoms in the heydeys of 360-era Xbox Live, headsets always seemed like the worse of the two options. These days, though, I've found myself wishing for a nice headset, as I now primarily play on consoles, which don't let you just plug your Blue Yeti microphone into. If you want to chat with your friends and hear your game audio, you'll need a headset, and while I still personally prefer headphones, this headset actually managed to really show its worth, and why it might just be a great option to have for your console gaming adventures. It's time to grab your Xbox, some Mtn Dew, and Doritos, because we're talking about the RIG 700HX Pro headset.

Tech Specs

Frequency response:20 Hz–20 kHz
Impedance:32 ohms
Max SPL:111 dBSPL/V
Surround sound: Dolby Atmos
Driver diameter:40mm

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Straight away, the most notable detail and standout feature of the 700HX Pro is how incredibly lightweight it is. The entire headset weighs in at half a pound, or 241 grams. That's absolutely nothing compared to some other popular options like the Xbox Wireless Headset (312g), the massive LucidSound LS50X (410g), or the SteelSeries Arctis 7X (340g). One of the biggest gripes I have with headsets is how weighty they are, usually due to the clunkier, edgier "gamer" aesthetic they all have, but the 700HX is the most feather-light out of anything I've ever tried, including all of my headphones. They are also startlingly flexible; while watching the press briefing for the reveal of the 700HX, I saw one of the PR agents take the headset and start stretching it out and even twisting it all the way around. There should never be an actual need for you to treat your headset like a Slinky, but it definitely goes to show the build quality and how well it holds up under abuse.

Both the lightweight and stretchy nature of the 700HX lend well to the comfort of the headset. Without a doubt, they feel like you're wearing nothing at all (nothing at all, nothing at all), because they rest so gently on your head. This does cause them to slip around a little easily if you're moving too much, but unless you're really rocking out to a JRPG battle theme, you probably won't risk them falling off. The earcups are also delightfully plushy, with the outsides being faux leather and the insides being a much more breathable fiber. That mix gives you the heat resistance of the fabric material, while also still allowing for some bass-y, woof-y closed-back game audio.

As far as sound quality goes, the 700HX Pro gets merely acceptable mileage out of its 40 mm drivers. To compensate for its middling frequency response, it comes with Dolby Atmos support, which really pumps up the audio performance, so long as you're using it on either a Windows 10 device or an Xbox Series X|S. It really excels at deeper bass-heavy sounds or high-hats, which conveniently is what you hear a lot of in most mainstream shooters, with heavy gunfire, footsteps, voices, and deep sound effects aplenty. The directional sound was also handled amazingly, especially in the case of The Division 2. I wasn't as much of a fan when it came to higher-pitched sounds--for example, some older 16-bit game tracks--where they sounded almost a little too thin and grating after a while of listening. Similarly, songs that were higher in tone also didn't fare quite as well, but it's an alright compromise and expected, given that headsets focus on prioritizing gaming audio above all else. I wouldn't recommend it for anything more than casual music listening via YouTube outside of gaming; I appreciate the bass, but the everything else is a little underwhelming.

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Included in the box is a small microphone that you can attach to the bottom of the headset. I'm always glad to see detachable microphones--especially ones that don't take up much of your peripheral vision. The 700 HX's mic is small and is easy to tune out visually, as opposed to a lot of larger headset's mics. In terms of audio quality, you won't be impressing your friends with how your voice sounds for certain, but it's serviceable. What does stand out, however, is the noise-canceling on the microphone. It filters out a lot of background audio nicely, making sure your teammates don't get an earful of Dorito crunching or other distracting cacophony. Now that it's just about Summer, I have a lot of fans going in my office, and where both my dedicated desktop microphone and the mic on the Corsair headset I recently reviewed would annoyingly pick up the sound of air blowing, the Rig headset tuned it completely out.

Despite being so lightweight, the 700 HX manages to pack in a decent amount of battery life. Each charge ought to last you around 12 hours, which I found to be ideal. Whenever I needed the headset, it was always ready to rock, usually at a medium battery level. What did manage to irk me was the fact that it connects via Micro-USB; can we not finally move on to USB-C? I'm baffled by the decision to use that type of connector, especially as this is billed as a next-gen headset designed for the Xbox Series X|S--a console that uses USB-C for everything.

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At $119.99, though commonly seen on sale for around $99, the Nacon Rig 700 HX isn't quite a budget headset with that kind of price, but it also undercuts most of the higher-end Atmos headsets out there. I think where it excels the most is in its comfort; no pair of headphones that I've ever tried have achieved feeling like not even wearing a headset at all, except these. They're also fantastically durable, so if you've got kids who might mess around with your gear, or you yourself are clumsy, the 700 HX can really take a beating. These aren't the most amazing sounding headphones on the market, but they're quite immersive for any games that make use of directional audio on either PC or Xbox. Nacon has a solid headset on their hands with these, and I could easily recommend them to Xbox Series users looking for something that'll last them through the entire console generation.

Verdict

What We Liked ...

So super comfortable
Surprisingly durable and holds up well to roughhousing
Dolby Atmos support
Lightweight to the utmost degree

What We Didn't Like ...

Doesn't handle higher-pitched sounds too well
MICRO USB!

8.6

out of 10

Overall

With a focus on comfort above all else, the Rig 700HX Pro Headset manages to pack a lot into its ridiculously lightweight shell. Anyone who deals with frequent discomfort or dislikes heavy headsets would be remiss in not checking this one out. And even if you're not one of those people, the 700HX Pro is a solid all-rounder of a headset for those on the Xbox side of the console wars.

Reactions: HellGhast, smallissue, SAIYAN48 and 4 others

DKB
May 31, 2021

micro usb cringe

Reactions: smallissue

"micro usb"

you cannot be serious

USB-C is 7 god damn years old

When did this headset come out????

Reactions: smallissue and rimoJO

S SG854
May 31, 2021

Stupid sexy Flanders

Reactions: Chary and smallissue

More headphones to block my neighbor's screams please. lol

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