Intro

The first time I heard about Ozone Gaming, was from a friend who accidently noticed their site from a search in google. From the looks of the products they manufacture, I noticed a very fresh and exciting design. From that day I was eager to put my hands on one of these devices to see if the quality was up to the looks.

What I also liked about Ozone was the fact that the brand was indeed introduced in the market by gamers. Now what do we know about gamers? Most of them are young students, therefore price is a big issue for them. Most of them can't afford high price tags. Apparently the gamers at Ozone had the same problems when they where younger and came out with amazing prices in view to this reality. Today I will test if the affordable cost effects the quality. In this review we will see what this headset has to offer to the average gamer and if it is up to the requirements of the pro and avid gamers alike.

Packaging

What really struck me in the Ozone branding was the use of Red as their corporate colour. Since we are mostly used to blue or green for gaming devices and brands. In my opinion this already makes the product stand out.

On the front of the box, there is a clear high resolution image of the headset with a red and black fading background that blends in with the headset. If you are not convinced by the picture on the box, the packaging also features a transparent section covered by the front image which can be opened by detaching a couple of velclore attachments that enable you to open the front and see the headset without opening the package. The transparent section is also found on one of the sides of the box. On the back one can find a graphical representation of the headset as well as thecnical specs on the bottom of the box. The headset lacks instructions for use and manuals but since I could find all of the info I wanted on the website, I believe that this reduces the amount of paper used. So they would be saving a couple of trees in the process, since technology permits it.

 

 

 

Technical Specifications

Microphone
Mic Dimensions: ø6.0 x 2.8mm
Directivity: Omnidirectional
Impedance: ≤2.2KΩ
SPL: -38dB±3dB

Headphones
Driver Dimensions: ø40mm
Impedance: 32Ω
Frequency Response: 20~20kHz
Sensitivity (SPL): 96dB±3dB

General
Cord Length: ≥3.0m
Plug: USB
Net Weight: 310g

Compatible with Microsoft® Windows® XP / Vista / 7
Mac OS X

The Headset

The Oxid headset is somewhat bulky, however this is merely a disguise for how shockingly light the headset actually is. It's so lightweight that I've found myself forgetting I'm wearing it up until the point where I try to leave my PC only to find myself tethered to it.

The actual materials used are brilliant. Both speakers are padded with a synthetic compound designed not to stick to skin, as a result of this they breathe very well leading to less of that horrible sweating caused by some headsets. The headband between the speakers is also padded with this material, though it's been perforated so it doesn't stick to hair or skin making it very comfortable.

The microphone can be retracted in the headset when is it not being used so it is not in the way, it is also very flexible. In terms of looks the Headset looks sturdy and altough the headset finish is matt, the red logo stands out giving the headset a professional look. Since I am not a fan of flashy looking headsets I love this design. What I also really loved is that touch of glowing red coming out of the mic, makes it look really cool during LAN sessions.

The Oxid headset features a simple to use controller that can be manipulated with the use of just one hand. This controller features full sound and audio mixer control, as well as mic control and the ability to turn on your media program of choice. This is cool and makes the headset ideal for media.

Testing it out

Methodology

I chose the best environment I could think of to test a headset: A LAN party. Lots of noise going on around me and a lot of multiplayer play meant that I'd need good sound quality to be able to concentrate on what I'm doing.

Gaming Rig

Processor	Intel Quadcore Duo
Motherboard	Asus  P5q Series
RAM	4GB OCZ
GPU	ATI 4850 on fire edition
HDD	Hitachi 1TB
OS	Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit

CAll of Duty 4

Call of Duty 4 is fast-paced and can be very, very loud if you're on the defensive team. You need to be able to pinpoint incoming fire and dodge explosions quickly and not being able to hear what's going on can be devastating.

Straight into the game I'm somewhat deafened by the excellent sound quality from 3 Soldiers firing relentlessly next to my spawn. Hiding in the safety of my spawn zone I adjusted the audio output to a non-deafening level, after which, I achieved a quality that I couldn't get on my 2.1 speakers or my old headset.

The clarity was beyond good enough for me to identify nearby and far-off shots and to some degree improved my gameplay, allowing me to be more effective for the team by avoiding hazards that I might not otherwise have noticed.

I was also able to identify distant shots and explosions amidst nearby explosions, assisting me in noticing that someone had managed to sneak behind our frontline defences and was trying to plant a bomb, something I wouldn't have noticed without this headset.

The microphone was somewhat "too good" for the online chat. I found that I had to keep the mic quite far away from my mouth so that I didn't deafen my fellow team-mates. Once the opportunity arose though, lowering the mic volume fixed this.

Music

Music of choice: Coldplay, Armin Van Buren.
I chose these differentt types of Music for their often contrast, switching from Pop and soft rock to dance. Starting with the first album from Coldplay, I had a crisp, clean sound which wasn't hindered by the noise of twenty or so people in the room with me. What I noticed was the fact that the bass can be improved but on the whole it is still of a good standard.

Movies

I chose Avatar to test out this headset's capabilities when it comes to film, a film which often switches from gunfire to the quiet sounds of the jungle. Once again I had a crisp and clear sound quality.

Conclusion

The Cost

Well the cost for this type of headset in my opinion is superb. Selling at as low as Euro 32.00 it is a bargain.

Conclusion

The headset met my expectations and went beyond in all my tests. Providing crisp and clear sound quality, it's managed to improve my gaming experience and helped to improve my ability in-game. Going over everything, the only small drawback I can think of, is the bass volume. This can be remedied by messing around with your sound mixer or making minor adjustments to your in-game audio.

Pros and Cons

Crisp and clear sound quality	Base has to be adjusted from the game controls to your liking.
Comfortable and light	Mic has to be adjusted since it is a times too high pitched
Easily manipulable controls
Cheap price

Overall

We gave this Headset the Hackers Gold Tag, for the great quality and the excellent price tag it provides.

Our thanks go to Ozone for providing us with the sample for this review.