Setup & Observations

Setting up the GSP 600 is very straightforward and only requires a spare 3.5mm audio jack and microphone jack. The GSP 600 does not require software as they are an analogue headset and will work with Windows 7, 8 and 10 as well as Mac. Using them with console requires a controller that has a 3.5mm output, if the controller does not have a 3.5mm out, then an additional adapter will be required.

The in-use experience with the GSP 600 is mostly great with one exception. The GSP 600 are a considerable size and are made extremely well. Due to the size and solid build quality, the big trade-off is weight, and these are a considerably weighty headset. Weighing in at 395g these can’t exactly be considered featherweight and could cause some users potential wearing fatigue. In our experience, we noted that this fatigue set in at around the two-hour mark, however, this will likely be different in each case though as we are all built differently. It’s also worth noting that this may not impact you at all, especially if you are used to heavier headsets. The split style headband helps alleviate any heat build that can sometimes occur at the top of your head which does help reduce this type of fatigue. The ear-cup padding and materials are very high quality and provide great levels of comfort, they also don’t build up as much heat as some other closed back style gaming headsets do. The clamping force is a bit strong upon first use, however, this can be altered by utilising the mechanism built into the headband. It does take some tweaking to find the optimal setting, but once you do, the force is much more bearable.

The volume control wheel works very well and feels robust while being smooth. It's nicely positioned to making volume adjustments quite effortless. The GSP offers great noise isolation when in use, that makes them ideal if you are in a noisier environment, however in some cases, you could miss a knock at the door or an important phone call, so bear this in mind.

Multimedia


Here at Vortez, we like to make sure we cover all the bases which is why we test not only gaming performance but also how headsets perform for both listening to music and watching movies. When listening to music, we noted that the sound was warm and energetic yet possessed a great level of control. The bass was very smooth and well bodied. It had a nice amount of weight that carried from the lower regions to the midbass. It had plenty of potency when needed, though we found it was never too obtrusive. The treble has a very nice character to it as it’s rich and highly detailed. The GSP 600 had a lot of treble control with great levels of precision and a nice amount of warmth without being overly bright. Vocal production was stellar providing plenty of power, clarity and a natural tone.

The movie experience was also highly enjoyable. The potent rich bass carries over and is great for action flicks, yet the treble remains open enough to enjoy clean and clear dialogue. The finer detail pickup is superb as well, and you really receive a lot of the small additions that are sometimes missed. The immersion factor is great too as they offered a wide side soundstage that creates a fantastic sense of space and awareness.

Although the GSP 600 performs superbly for music and movies, it’s for gaming where it counts most, and it’s safe to say that they again delivered a very strong performance. In games like Overwatch and Fortnite, the bass took a bit of back seat and let the treble shine through more prominently. There was still a bit of bass kick, but it wasn’t overly distracting nor too overly potent. This is great as it allowed even more of the finer detail to be heard. The level of detail that is heard is brilliant, and even some minor additions that are often glossed over were picked up and delivered very convincingly. The spatial audio on offer is great, making them ideal for titles that require a more heightened awareness of your immediate surroundings.

For solo titles such as Rise of the Tomb Raider, GTA V and Batman Arkham Knight the GSP 600 created a very convincing atmosphere which was spacious yet full of detail. This further increased the immersion factor of the whole experience. The bass again wasn’t as prominent as it was for music and movies but again they provided enough of a punch to give gunshots and explosions the weight they deserve. The treble continued to impress and was very clear and detailed which highlights the sound design and even further enhanced the solo adventure experience.

Microphone


The microphone on the GSP 600 is built-in and is mounted to a swivel mechanism. The mechanism is really smooth and allows you to mute the microphone by bringing the arm back towards the headset. The arm is also partially flexible allowing you to position it in a variety of different ways. The microphone has a frequency response of 10Hz to 18,000Hz and uses a Bi-directional ECM pick-up pattern.

Testing the microphone we set the gain to +20dB with a volume of 80%, this provided a nice balance, and we found that it was not too loud or too quiet. Of course, these settings can be altered to best suit your needs. The microphone is very clear with strong levels of detail. Bass pickup is quite strong as well, meaning your voice won’t sound too thin. We did note a few minor plosives when pronouncing P and B sounds as well as some slight hiss for S sounds, but it wasn’t at a level to cause major concern. The microphone does do a good job at blocking out background noise which is great if you are using it for game chat or streaming. The noise cancelling feature also didn’t cause any major problems with the sound as it often can when overdone.