Mionix Keid 20 Review

The gaming arsenal of Swedish manufacturer MIONIX just received a further major boost, with the addition of the KEID 20 Headset. My previous reviews of other MIONIX products, namely the Saiph 3200 Gaming Mouse and the Alioth Mousemat series will give you a clear idea on the quality and grade that MIONIX is usually associated with; I found both equipment to be excellent, hence I am naturally going into judgement with certain expectations.

The MIONIX KEID 20 is a specialised gaming headset only just released a few days ago. The full-size stereo KEID comes in the brand colour of black, with touch of green, or else in white.

"MODEL OVERVIEW
The Mionix Keid 20 is a comfortable, high quality headset, specifically developed for gaming. The 50 mm driver is optimized for clear and precise sound. The large-size ear pads have an ergonomic design and are equipped with a special memory foam that forms after your ears. The headband is flexible and auto adjusts to your head. The ergonomic design, superior comfort and an optimized sound makes Mionix Keid 20 to a perfect choice for long sessions of intensive gaming." 

Presentation & Aesthetics

The KEID 20 comes in a neat black box with the traditional hints of green and white, displaying only relevant information. The back of the box highlights the various features and specifications of the model, as well as giving an overview of the equipment, and a reference from where the name is derived to keep up with the astronomical theme of the brand.

Inside the box, one can find, apart from the headset itself, a small brochure with installation instructions, warranty and support information, as well as a convenient drawstring carry bag in matte black with the MIONIX logo fashionably displayed in shiny black.

Unto the design of the headset per se; The black version is sleek and sexy, with appropriate touches of light green in strategic locations, making it a great headset just to look at. The white version is as aesthetically stunning; personally, I'd have no idea which I'd choose, as both are very well designed.

Being pretty does not make a headset great. The most important thing is whether it actually fulfills its role. On paper, the technical specifications of the headset comply to the standards of similar products from other brands, yet Mionix eye to detail brings out several other interesting features to light.

"TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
• Type: Circumaural / Full-size stereo headset
• Driver: 50 mm
• Magnet type: NdfeB
• Frequence response: 20Hz - 20 000 Hz
• Speaker impedance: 32O
• Sensitivity (@1 kHz): 100dB +/- 3 dB
• Max input power: 400 mW
• Connection type: 3.5 mm goldplated plugs
• Cable length: 3 m braided cable
• Cable diameter: 3 mm
• Volume control: On cable, from mute to full volume

MICROPHONE
• Frequency range: 300Hz- 3 300 Hz
• Mute Microphone: Yes
• Directivity type: Omni-directional
• Sensitivity (@1 kHz): -36dB +/- 5dB
• Max. Operation Voltage: 10 V"

"FEATURES
• Ergonomic design
Truly ergonomic design with memory foam that forms after your ears
• Clear and precise sound
Optimized sound to give a clear and precise sound suitable for gaming
• Passive noise reduction
Passive noise reduction filter that clarifies your voice from background noise
• Braided cables
Braided cables to prevent cable breakage
• Volume control
Volume control with microphone mute function"

One aspect on which MIONIX seem to have emphasised is comfortableness. The headset is surprisingly lightweight, and the headband stretches considerably and fits like a glove on anyone. The large ear pads are very comfortable on the ears, possibly due to what MIONIX claim to be a special memory foam which adjusts especially to accomodate the user's ears.

A handy controller attached to the wire is convenient to change the volume, and also has the nifty option of muting and unmuting the microphone as the switch of a button. Perfect for when your mum or partner barges into the room to diss at you for spending too much time on the computer.

Another such detail is the relatively long and braided cables. Whether such features work well in practice will be dealt with in the following section.

Testing

 One thing that instantly struck me whilst using them is the extreme clarity of the sound. This is however balanced out by the lack of bass. Whilst some people might consider this lack of bass as a downside, this headset is a gaming headset, and bass is never a priority for gaming. The clarity combined with lack of unnecessary bass makes it an excellent product to be used exclusively for gaming, especially when it comes to those tight situations where the slightest rustle of leaves, footstep or any generic sound made by the enemy determines who has the edge in the eventual confrontation. It also makes it easy to determine the direction from where the sound is coming, giving one a distinct advantage.

The quality of the microphone is also pretty impressive, and come about crystal clear.

First thing I did was start off with some Evanescence rock music, and to be truthful, I was not overly impressed at all with the bass. However, as soon as I fired up a deathmatch in Unreal Tournament 2004, I realised the emphasis on Gaming Audio. I could easily listen to every intricate movement of my opponents as I dodged rockets and spouted hot lead, as the commentator's deep voice resounded the "MONSTER-KILL" achievement.

I decided to test out a newer game to check out the sound quality in a relaxed, single-player environment; Red Faction: Guerilla seemed like a good candidate; and the atmospheric sound was indeed brilliant as I smashed my way through stuff with my sledgehammer, each time emitting a thunderous bang, whilst hanging around Ventrilo and discussing with mates.

One thing, which however, annoyed me was the lack of sound insulation. The pleasant movie I was watching on a my relaxed Saturday afternoon was continually being disturbed because I could hear my brother's venture in Fallout 3 in the next room, and other noises which leaked into my ears.

 

Opinions, Verdict, and Conclusion

Opinions:

EVERSIO.BIX
"Excellent for gaming purposes, however, it lacks a good bass, and so is not very well suited for listening to music."

Beast
"Being the first headset that mionix produced, I must say that I'm very impressed indeed as it is very comfortable and most of all, the sound it produces is very crisp and rich. I must say that for its price, it is really what a gamer must have."

EVERSIO.nevi
"I was impressed with the audio quality and the looks of the Keid. It definitely gives one the edge especially when it comes to higher-end competitive gaming."

Infernal Gamers ZappY
"I only tried the headset for a short while, but aesthetically, it is very nice, and I am interested in checking out the way it delivers its product ingame."

Verdict:

Pros:

• Aesthetically pleasing
• Relatively Cheap at €60
• Lightweight but sturdy
• Ergonomic
• Crystal clear sound quality
• Comfortable
• Comes with a suitable carrybag, easy to transport

Cons:

• Lack of Bass
• Does not dampen out exterior sound

Score: 8/10

Conclusion: Whilst it is a great headset, especially for the relatively cheap price of €60, making it great value for money, the lack of bass and sound insulation are considerable setbacks. However, the sound quality is specialised and ideal for competitive gaming environments.