When it comes to gaming on a PS4, if you want to get the most out of your experience, it is important that you have a clear and crisp sound.
While you can use the sound from your monitor or TV, with certain AAA games, or online games such as Call of Duty, being able to hear quiet footsteps is essential.
The last thing you will want is to not hear an enemy player sneaking up behind you, trust me, I have been there!
The best way to enhance your sound and experience is through gaming headphones.
Not only will they enable you to hear the game sound clearer, but they allow you to chat to your friends and teammates too.
In this article I have reviewed and discussed one type of gaming headphones in particular, the RIG 800HX to let you know my thoughts on them.
They are certainly headphones you will want to take into consideration.
Plantronics Company Background
Before I review these headphones in detail, let me give you a quick overview of Plantronics as a company.
They are an American company based in Santa Cruz in California and founded 60 years ago in 1961. Their President and CEO at time of writing is Dave Shill.
They are a consumer electronics company that specialize in audio communications producing a number of different wireless audio products such as headphones and headsets. In 2019, the company officially changed its name to just Poly.
Poly began by creating a headset for pilots on airlines, and have grown substantially since then, creating headphones for NASA and telecommunications.
RIG 800HX Headphone Review
To help you find the information you require, I have split my review of the RIG 800HX Headphones into useful specification sections.
Cost and Specifications
When looking at the overall cost of these headphones, they are reasonable. They are a similar price to other PS4 headphones on the market.
While they are a mid-range price, they are great value for the money as they feature good specifications and are not too expensive.
While they are far cheaper in comparison to other branded headphones, they do not lack in their overall quality.
These headphones are not overly large, their exact dimensions are 7.8 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches. They only weigh 0.70 pounds, which is very lightweight. As they are not heavy, they will be comfortable to wear when gaming over longer periods.
These headphones are specifically designed to be connected to the PS4. Given this, they are not suitable for use with an Xbox or any other consoles. It has a simple black design, with a PU leather look to the ear cups.
There is a built-in microphone that can be moved up and down for comfort and provides a good sound for your teammates to hear.
When the microphone is tilted upward completely this will mute the microphone which is a useful feature.
Sound
When it comes to purchasing a headset, it is important that the audio quality is good. This is especially essential when you are paying for a professional gaming headset.
Overall I was impressed with the audio quality of these headphones, especially when you take into consideration how inexpensive they are.
As they are made specifically with gaming in mind, they pick up on the smallest of sound details and enhance the overall gaming experience. The sound can be adjusted on the headphones itself.
The analog dials are a location on the ear cup and allows you to adjust the volume while playing without having to access the audio settings on your PS4, this is such a useful feature.
In addition to this, you can switch and adjust the volume of both your group chat and the game to get the perfect balance of the two.
The headphones feature 40 mm drivers which enhance the audio and allow it to be more realistic. There are 4 different EQ presets to choose between.
As these headphones are designed with gaming in mind, they are not the best headphones to purchase if you want to use them to listen to music through your PS4.
While the sound provided is reasonable, it is not the best, and the bass is fairly low overall.
Noise-Cancelling
When it comes to choosing the best gaming headphones, ideally they should be noise-cancelling.
Noise-cancelling headphones allow you to specifically focus on the game you are playing, rather than on the surrounding noises. This allows you to have better gameplay overall and helps to prevent distractions.
The RIG 800HX Headphones state that they are noise-cancelling. When I tested out this feature I was impressed. They block out surrounding sounds very well, and they are great at isolating the noise within the headphones.
The microphone that is included with the headphones is a noise-cancelling boom mic which helps your voice to be clear and consistent for your teammates to hear you.
Comfort
Overall, the RIG 800HX Headphones were particularly comfortable to wear.
As they fit over the ear, you do not have to worry about any inner ear discomfort. They are a good size, without being overly large or too small.
The ear cups have a soft and cushioned design that is comfortable even when used for long periods. The headband can be adjusted to sit different head sizes, and it is also padded for comfort. The fit is good overall.
What is great about these headphones is that while they come with the noise-cancelling ear cups, they also come with an extra set of ear cups too.
These ear cups are vented and are not noise-cancelling. If you want the earphones to be breathable, this will allow you this option.
Wireless Features
These headphones are wireless, which is a great feature. No longer will you have to worry about unnecessary wires getting tangled or in your way while you are gaming. These headphones give you far more freedom.
As they are wireless, they use a Bluetooth connection to connect to the PS4 console and controller. The wireless connection is very good and is lag free.
With some of the more inexpensive headphones, often you will experience some lagging or interference problems. However, I did not experience this at all when using the headphones.
The digital wireless audio can reach up to 10 meters which is more than enough needed.
Battery Life
As these are wireless headphones, they do only have a set amount of battery life and will need to be charged fairly often.
I was very impressed by the battery life of the RIG 800HX headphones, and they lasted for a particularly long time.
Even compared to some of the more expensive gaming headphones, they had a better battery life overall.
They can last for up to an impressive 24 hours before needing to be charged. When you compare this to other wireless PS4 headphone sets, this has by far some of the best battery life available.
Given this, this headset would be the perfect option if you are looking for a long-lasting headset for extended gaming nights, without having to worry about charging the headset after a few hours.
When looking at the charging time, one would assume that they take significantly longer than your average wireless headset to charge, especially given their extended battery life. However, this is not necessarily the case.
For every 1.5 hours of wireless use, the headphones need 30 minutes of charging time. If you do want to charge the headphones up fully, this will take a good amount of time to do so.
Pros
- Battery Life - This is one of the best features of these headphones. As the battery life lasts up to 24 hours, this is particularly good, and you will not have to worry about the headphones being constantly on charge.
- Noise-Cancelling - The noise-cancelling feature is great as it will help to block out any surrounding sounds so that you can focus solely on the game audio
- Good Sound - The sound that is produced with these headphones is particularly good, and it is built with gaming in mind
Wireless Features - As these headphones are wireless, you will not need to worry about wires getting in the way.
Cons
- Charging Time - As the headphones need 30 minutes of charging time for every 1.5 hours of use, they will take a good amount of time to charge fully. However, when you compare this to how long the charge lasts for, it is still a short period of time.
Summary
Overall, I would certainly recommend the RIG 800HX Headphones if you are looking for a new PS4 headset.
They are good value for the money overall, and are a great option if you are shopping on a budget.
They have a very good battery life, are wireless, contain a microphone and are noise-cancelling. They are everything you would want to look for in a gaming headset.
They are comfortable to wear and are adjustable too. I was pleasantly surprised by these headphones.
