RIG Spectre R8 Professional HS evaluate

The RIG Spectre R8 Professional HS is the most recent within the firm’s ever-expanding lineup of gaming headsets. With 31 completely different headsets at the moment out there on its web site, it won’t be instantly apparent the place the R8 Spectre R8 Professional HS matches into the entire lineup. Nonetheless, no matter all its sibling rivalry, it is a respectable wi-fi headset with good sound high quality, a handy charging dock, PS5 or Xbox compatibility, Bluetooth, and a aggressive worth.

This all combines to make it a robust contender for our greatest gaming headset information, significantly if you happen to’re searching for a single headset to make use of together with your console and PC. Nonetheless, it will not work with each PS5 and Xbox – you must select one or the opposite – and would not have fancy enter switching tech, so you must bodily swap the dongle between your PC and console. Learn on under to search out out if it is the appropriate selection for you.

Specs

Options

As mentioned above, the core options of the RIG Spectre R8 Professional HS are that it is a 2.4GHz wi-fi headset that additionally consists of Bluetooth 5.2, and it may be related through its USB-C port. It is appropriate with PC but additionally is available in two variations, every of which is appropriate with both the PS5 or Xbox Sequence S/X.

This compatibility comes from the USB-C dongle that features a sliding change on its facet, so that you set it to PC for plugging into your PC, or PS5/Xbox for plugging into your console. On this sense, it isn’t wherever close to as handy as an possibility such because the Astro A50 X, which might preserve a connection to all of your gadgets directly and might change between them on the contact of a button on the headset. Nonetheless, it does at the least offer you that dual-system compatibility, plus its Bluetooth connection can be utilized by itself or concurrently with the wi-fi connection, so you possibly can take a name whereas nonetheless gaming, as an illustration.

What can be handy with this headset is charging it. It comes with a charging dock which you could plug into your PC. The headset then drops into this and prices through a set of gold contacts. The dock additionally consists of RGB lighting, with a devoted button for switching the lights on or off. You’ll be able to’t join the headset to your PC through the dock, however as an alternative must plug the wi-fi dongle into the socket within the dock.

As to the headset itself, it is a pretty easy design in some methods. It has a non-removable growth mic with flip-up-to-mute performance and has simply three buttons, for energy, enter (Bluetooth, wi-fi, or each), and profile switching, plus there is a quantity wheel. That is a easy and tidy choice, nevertheless it means you miss out on the power to take away the growth mic and use inside mics as an alternative, so it isn’t an ideal journey headset possibility.

It additionally would not have hot-swappable batteries within the sense that you just get two within the field and a charger for them, like with the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Professional Wi-fi. Nonetheless, the battery could be eliminated with out instruments to interchange it if it ever degrades.

What are swappable are the earcup pads. These magnetically connect, making it straightforward to swap them out for a contemporary, clear/undamaged set if ever wanted. Additionally magnetically hooked up are the outer covers of the earcups. These Mod-Plates can then be swapped for alternate options made by RIG, or you possibly can simply go to city portray and customizing these plates, protected within the information that you just need not masks off all the remainder of the headset, and which you could simply purchase one other pair in case your efforts look terrible.

Internally, the headset options 40mm graphene-coated drivers, which differ from the corporate’s pure graphene drivers used within the R5 Max HD. Graphene is coveted for its lightness and stiffness, which is right for speaker drivers, however there is a massive distinction between pure graphene and a graphene coating. Nonetheless, the corporate nonetheless claims an impressively broad 20-40,000Hz frequency vary with sub 0.5% whole harmonic distortion.

Beneath the left earcup’s swappable cowl is a 1,180mAh rechargeable battery that RIG says is nice for 60+ hours of gaming. That is not completely class-leading, with the likes of the Razer BlackShark Professional V3 Professional pushing to 70 hours, nevertheless it’s nonetheless proper on the higher finish. Solely a 12 months or two in the past, flagship headsets lasted half as lengthy.

Design, consolation, and construct high quality

Obtainable in black, black, or extra black, the one seen distinction between the PS5 and Xbox variations of this headset is the colour of the RGB lighting on its dock and the brand on the swappable Mod-Plates earcup covers. In any other case, it is a plain black possibility that largely seems to be fairly good and unobtrusive.

Construct high quality can be respectable, with the very weighty and substantial charging dock securely holding the headset, and the headset itself feels rock strong. The magnetic components additionally keep safe, with no rattle, whereas remaining straightforward to take away when wanted.

The scarf is a primary design, with no secondary elasticated bands or intelligent geometry to its adjustment. It is only a curved plastic piece with padding on the underside and stiff telescoping arms for adjustment.

This simplicity means consolation is middling. It clamps very firmly to the perimeters of your head, making the headset really feel reassuringly safe. This additionally reduces strain on the highest of your head, because the earcup pads take the burden as an alternative of the scarf. Nonetheless, regardless that the padding is deep sufficient that the drivers do not squash into your ears, you pretty instantly really feel that strain round your ears, particularly if you happen to put on glasses.

What’s unusual, although, is that, when sporting it for longer intervals, the sense of strain would not essentially construct to being any extra uncomfortable. Some headsets can really feel nice initially, however then the strain builds over time, abruptly making you are feeling a extra acute ache in a single spot or one other. Right here, although, the sense of strain is there instantly, however then it would not appear to worsen.

One oddity I discovered was having all of the controls and the mic on the appropriate earcup. I am simply so used to growth mics being on the left earcup and controls on the appropriate. It is a very minor level, although.

In any other case, the controls really feel intuitive and straightforward to achieve and inform aside by really feel alone, although I did discover I had an inclination to hit one or the opposite of the highest two buttons when eradicating or donning the headset.

Sound high quality

The RIG Spectre R8 Professional HS has an instantly impactful and spectacular sound. It packs a critical bass punch, however with none of the muddiness you get from some cheaper headsets that attempt to overemphasize bass, reminiscent of is considerably the case with the Logitech G325. It would not fairly compete with the RIG R5 Max HD for actually sub-bass energy, nevertheless it’s nonetheless no featherweight.

Not solely that, however there actually is an honest quantity of element resolved by this headset. Once more, in comparison with a top-end headset just like the R5 Max HD, it isn’t bringing newfound ranges of element to songs, motion pictures, and video games that I’ve heard many instances earlier than, however there is a readability proper all through the sonic vary. It additionally works properly for a variety of musical genres, with sufficient mid-range heat to make rock, nation, and vocals sound, properly, warming.

The “full-bandwidth” mic would not fairly stay as much as that description, however is obvious and far fuller-sounding than many cheaper mics. There isn’t any digital/AI noise cancelling occurring, although. It isolates your voice simply via pure directional isolation, so growth place will matter.

The headset additionally helps Dolby Atmos 3D Audio, with an included lifetime subscription through the headset’s app.

Battery life

As per RIG’s claims, the Spectre R8 Professional HS lasts a very long time, making it potential to get every week of every day use out of this headset with out topping it up. However the truth that it has its charging station so available means you rapidly get within the behavior of docking it and having it absolutely charged every time you employ it.

How this common full charging impacts long-term battery life will not be one thing I can take a look at, however there’s a likelihood it degrades the battery faster than different headsets, the place you largely drain the battery and solely cost it as soon as every week. Nonetheless, that is the place the simple alternative of the battery involves the rescue.

Value

The RIG Spectre R8 Professional HS worth is $179.99, making it a premium headset, however one which competes strongly with rival choices. It is comfortably cheaper than the Razer BlackShark V3 Professional whereas together with its charging dock and console compatibility, even when it does lack the inner mics and ANC of that possibility.

Equally, whereas the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Professional Wi-fi brings hotswappable batteries, a desktop management, and ANC, it is $100 extra. if you happen to do not want the travel-oriented options like ANC and detachable growth mics, and you do not want the many-console connectivity of the Astro A50 lineup, the R8 Professional HS is a good possibility.

Verdict

In some methods, the Spectre R8 Professional HS is a little bit of an odd headset, when in comparison with trendy traits for gaming headsets. It is not attempting to be the every little thing headset for all events or a hyper-focused aggressive gaming possibility. Nonetheless, for its particular area of interest, it is an ideal possibility.

What’s that area of interest? Properly, when you’ve got a console – only one – and desire a single headset for it and your PC, however you do not thoughts having to manually plug within the wi-fi dongle to every while you come to make use of it, the R8 Professional HS delivers. In order for you wi-fi and Bluetooth comfort, however solely actually need it for at-home use, with no want to your gaming headset to even be a journey headset, it delivers.

In order for you a headset that stays in your head securely and presents respectable long-term consolation, however that is not essentially essentially the most tender, cushioned, effortlessly comfy possibility while you first don it, it delivers. Oh, and it does sound superb, too.

This mix at this worth makes this headset good worth, and undoubtedly value contemplating. On the very least, its charging dock ensures you might have someplace neat and tidy to retailer your headset.