eSports on a Casual Budget

Logitech is continuing to improve in the headset space. Does this $89 option work for us?

Slowly but surely, gaming accessories are going to the way of sneakers. Growing up, if you wanted to be a “baller,” you wanted a pair of Jordans. Short of that, you at least wanted a pair of Nikes or Reeboks – something that screamed “sports.” Even though making it to the pros was about as common as winning the lottery, you still wanted to be like the pros with their amazing talent, millions of dollars, and adoring fans. So you’d lace up those shoes and think maybe, just maybe, they’d lend you a little bit of the magic promised in the commercials.

And so it goes with the rise of eSports. With pro gamers now competing in million dollar tournaments and filling out stadiums of their own, PC gaming peripherals are going to the way of Nike, inextricably tying themselves to competitive gaming with marketing and team sponsorships. Yet, at least in some cases, there may be some substance to the hype.

Today, we’re taking a look at the Logitech G Pro gaming headset. Yes, it’s got sponsorships printed on the side of the box and quotes from professional gamers on the product page, but with a renewed focus on performance over flash, could there be more to the G Pro than hype? Let’s find out.

Specifications and Design

MSRP: $89.99 (Amazon.com)

Driver: Hybrid mesh PRO-G

Magnet: Neodymium

Frequency response: 20Hz-20KHz

Impedance: 32 Ohms

Sensitivity: 107dB@1KHz SPL 30mW/1cm

Noise Isolation: up to 16dB

Cable length: 2m

Surround: Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos for headphones Compatible

Microphone Pickup Pattern: Cardioid (Unidirectional)

Microphone Type: Back Electret Condenser

Microphone Size: 4mm

Microphone Frequency response: 100Hz-10KHz

Dimensions: 6.77 in (H) x 3.22in (W) x 7.17 in (D)

Weight: (w/o cable): 9.14 oz (259 g)

PC Cable Length: 6.56 ft (2 m)

Warranty: 2-Year Limited Hardware Warranty

Materials:

Headband: TR90 nylon

Joint: Glass fiber reinforced nylon​

Slider: Stainless steel

Ear and head pads: Leatherette

Additional ear pads: Microsuede

Earcups: Soft-touch

Beginning with packaging, we can see the simple approach right from the outset. The box mirrors the headset itself in its low key presentation. The most flash we see is on the rear with a large-text glossy black feature list and a slogan befitting its design: “One Purpose. Play to Win.”

Inside the box, we find the headset simply packaged, though note that there is a plastic tray which rests on top of the headset not pictured above. Underneath the headset, we find our 6.5ft braided cable ending in 4-pole head, the headphone/microphone splitter, and a set of microsuede replacement ear cushions.

Taking the headset out of the box, I was surprised by how lightweight they were. There’s also a good amount of padding on both the ear cushions and headband, making them quite comfortable to wear over the long term. As you can tell from the picture, they rotate 90-degrees to rest comfortably on your chest when not in use. The joints are glass-reinforced nylon, which should make them more resistant to breaking from small falls or extended use.

The headband also makes use of TR90 plastic around the stainless steel frame. TR90 is a form of thermoplastic usually found in glasses frames due to its flexibility and resistance to cracks and breakage from drops or flexing. It’s also quite lightweight. The inclusion here shows an extra level of consideration from Logitech and is one of the small touches that demonstrates their focus on solid design over meaningless flair in this headset.

Design-wise, the G Pros are a very simply headset. There’s no flashy RGB or odd “gamer-chic” angles on display. They feature a very simple, tasteful design that you could easily pull the mic from and wear out on the street with passersby none-the-wiser that you’re sporting a gaming headset. The soft-touch coating on outer housings also does a good job of repelling fingerprints.

Taking a closer look at those ear cushions, they have a good depth just about ⅛” shy of a full inch of padding. The leatherette used on the pre-installed pads is thicker than average and tight to the foam, which makes me feel like they’ll last longer than the cheaper leatherettes out there. They also do a passable job of isolating outside noise. The headset isn’t overly grippy on your melon, which lends to its overall comfort, but that also means that the seal isn’t as tight, so you won’t exactly be blocking out the outside world.

The alternative pads are covered in a microsuede and seem to be just a touch thinner. These pads a bit lighter and don’t complement the headset as well as the leatherette. They are more breathable, however. The leatherette requires occasional venting to keep your ears from sweating. The microsuede is more airy, which definitely helps.

Logitech has also opted for rectangular cutouts for the ears, which covered my whole ear without making it feel pressed.

Also pictured above is the 3.5mm microphone jack. The microphone boom has a small notch to match the port, making sure that the capsule is always directed at your mouth.

One of my pet peeves with headphones is when manufacturers use the flimsiest material right where it attaches to the driver housing. It’s asking for a tear. Here, the cushions feature a plastic lip that fits into a rim around the housing, which is a very nice improvement.

Still, while taking them off is easy, getting them back on is more of a challenge. Keeping that plastic lip in the ridge while stretching it to fit the whole way around took some serious hand contortions that left me wishing I’d never swapped out in the first place.

Audio Performance

The Logitech G Pros feature a standard 20Hz – 20000Hz frequency response range. This approximates the average range of human hearing, which makes it fairly standard in affordable headphones. In the gaming space, we’ve seen an increase in the amount of so-called Hi-Res headsets that extend this range, sometimes as far as 10Hz-30000Hz. The rationale is that extending the frequency response range should theoretically avoid distortion at any point in the audible spectrum, preserving clarity even in your most intense gaming moments.

The Logitech G Pros address this using their hybrid mesh Pro-G drivers, which Logitech claims avoid distortion even during powerful audio events. Though I don’t claim a full understanding of how “hybrid mesh” works, I can say that this is essentially true. During my testing, found that, while the low end could occasionally become a touch overwhelming, distortion was never an issue.

During my time with the headset, I played a number of games. Intense shooters, like Battlefield 1, sounded best but even slower paced MMORPGs and RPGs with orchestral soundtracks were a pleasure to experience. The tuning here definitely favors the lows, which makes them delightfully punchy. It’s only during the most cacophonous events that the balance tips ever so slightly too far.

Do note, however, that this headset is stereo only unless used with Dolby Atmos or Windows Sonic. Thankfully, the stereo sounds quite good and works well for positional tracking, so you don’t need to run out and pick up either option if you’re not already sold.

Listening to music, I definitely enjoyed this tuning on bass heavy tracks but did find myself wanting to tweak the highs up ever so slightly, bringing out the high hats and upper synth strains in songs like PVRIS’s What’s Wrong. Movies were delightful, falling more within the G Pro’s wheelhouse.

It’s also worth noting that these are the same drivers included in their top of the line G933 Artemis Spectrum gaming headset, which is still about $30 more and features a far inferior mic.

Speaking of, for $89.99, this may be one of the best headset mics available. It easily captures the low end of your voice and doesn’t over-apply compression to isolate background noise. The downside is that background noise does tend to come through fairly easily, so using it in an actual tournament seems problematic. In a quiet environment, I wouldn’t hesitate to use this for streaming, as it really is that good.

Final Thoughts

The Logitech G Pro feels like a $100+ headset, but isn’t. By focusing on performance rather than gamerized aesthetics, Logitech has been able to deliver a headset that delivers in the ways it needs to. I do wish it were tuned to give a little more emphasis to the highs but for gaming and movies it’s remarkably good. If it’s your only headset, you can also easily pop off the mic and take it on the go without getting sideways glances on the bus. For $89, the G Pro is a simple headset but a quality one.