review – The RIG 800 Pro HS Gaming Headset is a comfortable over-ear gaming headset with an excellent microphone. But how do they sound? Well, sit down for a while and I’ll tell you.
what is it?
The RIG 800 Pro HS is a gaming headset with some great features that can’t overcome its audio issues to justify the price.
What’s in the box?
- RIG 800 Pro HS Gaming Headset
- USB A to USB Micro Cable
- charging base
- USB wireless adapter
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Brochure
- Security Information
- Customer Support Information
Hardware Specifications
- wireless
- Latency-free 2.4 GHz digital radio
- Dedicated USB Wireless Adapter
- 10 meters range
- 1800mAh battery
- microphone
- Frequency Response: 100 Hz – 10 kHz
- Sensitivity: -45 dBV/Pa
- Signal-to-noise ratio: >42 dB
- Pickup Mode: Unidirectional
- speaker
- Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Drivers: 2 x Dynamic 40 mm with matching bass tubes
- feature
- Ultralight headband frame
- Snap-on/Snap-on earmuffs
- Bi-material ear cushions
- switch
- volume dial
- Flip the mute boom
- Base station with charging cradle
Design and Features
RIG 800 Pro HS headset is mainly designed for PS4 and PS5 and is compatible with PC. The 800 Pro Series offers three models. The other two are for Xbox and PC. I asked for the PC model only to find out that they are not yet available in the US.
The cans are nicely packaged in retail packaging with clear instructions for getting them to fit my fairly large head and juicing the stuff. You have two options on how to charge. You can connect the included USB cable directly from the power source to the left earcup, or connect the charging base to the power source and place the earphones in it.
I chose the charging base. This is cool because they use magnets to help you guide the earcups into the correct position, so a set of pogo pins line up with the contacts on the right earcup. So, if your entertainment facility has enough space, you can put the charger in one place and the RIG 800 Pro HS Gaming Headset will have a permanent home. You also don’t have to worry about wearing out the USB connector on the headset itself. When charging, the light on the charging stand is red and turns off when fully charged. Not entirely sure why they decided to use Micro USB at this point. USB C would have been my choice as that seems to be where everything is going.
Thankfully, the wireless dongle is 2.4 GHz, not bluetooth. I connected it to my computer and was able to roam around my house without disconnecting. In fact, the audio didn’t start editing until I got to the other end of the house. I don’t play well on PS4. As soon as I went to another room and there were a few walls between us, it started cutting and then disconnecting and reconnecting. I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s because I’m using a USB 3 hub on the PC and the PS4 is USB 2? What I like about the dongle, though, is that there’s a slot in the charging base. So as long as the charging base is connected to a PC or PlayStation, it will work there while still connecting the headset to your source. I don’t see a noticeable difference in performance if it’s at the base or connected directly to my source. When you connect it to USB power for the first time, the LED will light up blue. I should mention it’s USB only, no separate wall power option.
Connecting the headset to the dongle is very simple. Press and hold the power button for a few seconds to power on the RIG 800 Pro HS, and the robot lady who lives inside will tell you the battery level and that you’re connected. The LED on the dongle is red when disconnected and purple when connected.
success! Ready to roll!
Wearing the RIG 800 Pro HS gaming headset is very comfortable. The cups are padded over the ears with a thick breathable cloth. The elastic adjustable headband is perfect.
The can itself pops out of three different holes to allow for different sized heads. I wear them all day for Zoom and Teams conference calls, listening to music and watching a movie or two. If my boss asks, it’s just for research purposes!
The microphones on the RIG 800 Pro HS seem to be very good. During my virtual meetings, others could hear me clearly without any complaints. The boom is flexible enough to place it just right and just flip it up to mute it.
The controls on the rear of the left cup are easily accessible. At the bottom is the volume dial, then moving up is the power button. Finally, above the power button, there is the mic monitoring level dial. No cumbersome touch controls to learn.
Below is the part where I tell you about the issues I’m having with the RIG 800 Pro HS Gaming Headset. Audio is not very dynamic. What is the high point. There is no crispness in the high frequencies. Sometimes they seem to disappear completely. However, the mid-range seems to be just right. Vocals and voices can be heard perfectly. The bass is also nothing to write home about. They don’t become noticeable until you get to some very low frequencies. When you get there, the audio starts to get muddy, so I can’t recommend them for movies or music, but this is on a PC.
On the PlayStation, things are slightly better, but not by much. Just like on PC, the chat works great according to my kids. They can hear and be heard without any complaints. I don’t play a lot of online games, and I don’t have friends who do, so I don’t have anyone to chat with. I tried movies and music again and was still disappointed. Audio is just fine. To make sure it wasn’t just a movie streaming service, I also played the Blu-ray and there was no noticeable difference in quality.
For the price of the RIG 800 Pro HS gaming headset, I would consider other models. My son’s Hyper X headphones are half the price, and he prefers them to the RIG 800 Pro HS. My daughter has a suit from Razer and she also said she would stick with what she has. These things could be great if the audio could be improved. They’re comfortable, have great battery life on a PC, and have a nice charging dock. I’d like to try the PC version and see how the audio experience is different. Maybe with some different drivers or software it can be improved.
what do I like
- Self-adjusting headband
- Thick plush earmuffs
- charging base
- The range I get when connecting to the PC
- Microphone performance and adjustability
- The wireless dongle can be stowed away in the charging cradle
what would i change
- audio quality.preferably in the middle of the road
final thoughts
The RIG 800 Pro HS is a good gaming headset, but the price calls for it to be better. Better options at the same or lower price.
price: $149.99
where to buy (this: riggaming.com and Amazon
resource: Review sample provided by riggaming.com
