Setup, Design & Observations
You get a good quality feel when you touch the EVO ZX, the adjustable straps click firmly into place when moving, and it is comfortable to wear. The earcups are not the largest, falling somewhere between a circumaural and on-ear design and this makes wearing glasses with this headset a little uncomfortable. Pairing is easy using NFC and fairly straight foward using the traditional pairing method via Bluetooth. What makes the EVO Zx really stand out is that it can pair simultaneously with two wireless devices, this gives easy swapability between the items you may wish to use this with, further more, if you download the free Sound Blaster Central app to your mobile device from the Google Play or iOS store, they can act as a remote control to the settings of the headset. The EVO Zx features a built in SB-Axx1 audio processor that supports aptX and AAC codecs for high quality audio, specifically designed for Apple products, however will work well with Android devices too. The buttons on the right side earcup are easy to reach and it is easy to understand what each one does. Connecting the EVO Zx to your PC via Bluetooth or USB will allow you to use a virtual 7.1 surround sound mode for gaming. You can also use the EVO ZX passively when the battery runs out or to connect to your discrete sound card via 3.5mm jack.
Multi-Media
We tested the EVO Zx in all its possible forms, via mobile device, USB and 3.5mm jack with all audio processing effects switched off. The sound reproduction is very good from head vibrating bass to crystal clear mids and highs, using Sabrepulse's First Crush EP as a reference, mobile and USB shows that the onboard sound processing is very capable. Plugging the EVO Zx into a discrete sound card made some magic happen where audio fidelity certainly exceeds the realm of typical gaming headsets. For the price, objectively, audio performance is about the same level as one could expect from a high grade set of headphones in the £100-130 price region, add on the wireless functionality and integrated audio processing it becomes easy to understand the price.
Gaming and movies benefit well from the virtual 7.1 surround sound as the EVO Zx provides thundering bass and crystal clear mids and highs with good directional prowess. Though if you are using a discrete sound card, you will have to use the software emulated surround for this effect where available, though most contemporary discrete cards are fairly competent at this anyway.
Microphone
At first it seemed strange to use a built in microphone such as the one on the EVO Zx but in use, it was evident that it picked up very clear voice communication to those in my Skype group call. It did well to not pick up background noises from a desk fan, the dog barking outside and only just registered the sirens of a passing ambulance. The microphone was certainly impressive and is in keeping with the quality of the rest of the product.
You get a good quality feel when you touch the EVO ZX, the adjustable straps click firmly into place when moving, and it is comfortable to wear. The earcups are not the largest, falling somewhere between a circumaural and on-ear design and this makes wearing glasses with this headset a little uncomfortable. Pairing is easy using NFC and fairly straight foward using the traditional pairing method via Bluetooth. What makes the EVO Zx really stand out is that it can pair simultaneously with two wireless devices, this gives easy swapability between the items you may wish to use this with, further more, if you download the free Sound Blaster Central app to your mobile device from the Google Play or iOS store, they can act as a remote control to the settings of the headset. The EVO Zx features a built in SB-Axx1 audio processor that supports aptX and AAC codecs for high quality audio, specifically designed for Apple products, however will work well with Android devices too. The buttons on the right side earcup are easy to reach and it is easy to understand what each one does. Connecting the EVO Zx to your PC via Bluetooth or USB will allow you to use a virtual 7.1 surround sound mode for gaming. You can also use the EVO ZX passively when the battery runs out or to connect to your discrete sound card via 3.5mm jack.
Multi-Media
We tested the EVO Zx in all its possible forms, via mobile device, USB and 3.5mm jack with all audio processing effects switched off. The sound reproduction is very good from head vibrating bass to crystal clear mids and highs, using Sabrepulse's First Crush EP as a reference, mobile and USB shows that the onboard sound processing is very capable. Plugging the EVO Zx into a discrete sound card made some magic happen where audio fidelity certainly exceeds the realm of typical gaming headsets. For the price, objectively, audio performance is about the same level as one could expect from a high grade set of headphones in the £100-130 price region, add on the wireless functionality and integrated audio processing it becomes easy to understand the price.
Gaming and movies benefit well from the virtual 7.1 surround sound as the EVO Zx provides thundering bass and crystal clear mids and highs with good directional prowess. Though if you are using a discrete sound card, you will have to use the software emulated surround for this effect where available, though most contemporary discrete cards are fairly competent at this anyway.
Microphone
At first it seemed strange to use a built in microphone such as the one on the EVO Zx but in use, it was evident that it picked up very clear voice communication to those in my Skype group call. It did well to not pick up background noises from a desk fan, the dog barking outside and only just registered the sirens of a passing ambulance. The microphone was certainly impressive and is in keeping with the quality of the rest of the product.
