Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset Best Buy ((TOP))

Into the crowded and competitive field of gaming headsets comes Monster, but the brand most known for their cables isn't going it alone, as the headsets are being developed and produced under a partnership with Fatal1ty Gaming Gear. That's right, Johnathan 'Fatal1ty' Wendel, who has been involved in making gaming headsets and other kit for over a decade has taken his talents to Monster.

creative fatal1ty gaming headset best buy

The first two headsets to come out of this Fatal1ty by Monster partnership are the FXM100 and FXM200, which, based off of their respective feature sets and price points, are targeting one of the most competitive segments for gaming headsets, the sub $100 category.

I was very dubious of Monster when they announced their intention to enter the gaming headset arena. Roping in Fatal1ty is all well and good, but I have seen several companies take their first stabs at making a gaming headset and fall right on their faces. The needs of users who think there's nothing abnormal about spending hours with a headset and mic under less than ideal conditions in their leisure time can mean that a shortchange in comfort, durability, audio quality, mic quality, and everything in-between will be found. Such a flaw cannot be offset by extreme styling, buzzwords, or partnerships.

The ear cups are a larger on-ear design, which I was pleased to find works well for my medium to large ears and head. The only comfort issues I had with the headset involved the dangle mic/controls, as the weight can sometimes pull the right ear cup (say if I was walking around and not using the built-in clip). A seated couch position seems best for me since I don't normally like to use such clips. The other issue I had is common for leatherette ear cups, and that is they can get a little stifling over time in warmer conditions. My ears can put out a lot of heat, and occasionally reaching up and venting each ear is a generally good idea.

Before getting to the big kahuna consoles, it's important to know that the FXM200 got along well with my LG G4. Some care has been taken with the headset to ensure that it can still play music in a recognizable way. The headset does something to the low end to punch it up a bit and in turn muddle the bass, but this is much tamer than most bass-heavy headsets. It won't please purists, but listeners who favor a little extra over flat may enjoy it. For me, the music performance is mainly pleasing. Listening to something like Jake Bugg's 'What Doesn't Kill You' both on the phone and on a headphone amp, and it's clear that the FXM200 is an efficient design. It does well with lower power devices. The flip side of that is that it doesn't scale as well. Many gaming headsets have bigger drivers and wider soundstages, but also require more power.

For my review unit, there is just the headset and the removable boom mic as far as pieces go. If you are wondering why I'm going on about the two mic design, it's because usually gaming headsets require the user to keep track of both the boom mic and the dangle mic mobile piece. In comparison this is much simpler and has the added bonus of an all-inclusive mic mute. 041b061a72