Buying presents for a teenager can feel like a really difficult task. They have grown out of playing with toys and seemingly have very little interest in anything. Except they can quite happily spend hours and hours in front of a screen watching a lot of mindless drivel. If you can manage to prise their phone (which must have magical hypnotic powers as they stare into for so long) out of their hands, and inform them that everything they have just spent hours watching on YouTube or TikTok isn’t actually true or even real, they will quite happily switch to another screen – the television, games consoles, tablets and laptops. And if they are playing games, games can be noisy and, quite frankly, annoying at times with the same noises over and over again. So if you are looking for a gift this Christmas for a gamer, then a good gaming headset would make an excellent gift (one the whole family would get benefit from).
Gaming is a very popular pastime, and believe it or not, people actually make money playing games. Gaming on systems such as Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo as well as PC gaming is getting bigger year after year – you can now even use your Xbox subscription to play games on your desktop PC or laptop. Whilst the kids love playing games on the Xbox, they also love playing games on their laptops. Most of the time, they play their games without headphones on but there are times when nobody else wants to listen to the incessant noise, so they do use headphones occasionally when downstairs on the Xbox. When they are playing games on their laptops they always use headphones as they are playing games were they have to talk to their friends online.
If your children (or maybe you like a good gaming session yourself) are going to spend any length of time playing games wearing headphones then you really want a headset that has excellent quality audio and a really comfortable fit.
For great audio and an extremely comfortable fit we are great fans of Edifier. Edifier have been around since 1996 and their speakers, headphones and earbuds we think have always been stylish with excellent sounding audio. With Christmas fast approaching we have been looking at gifts for children and teenagers and Edifier sent us a pair of over the ear gaming headphones that fit the bill, the Edifier G2 II Gaming Headset in pink with cat ears.
The Edifier G2 II Gaming Headset is a 7.1 surround sound USB gaming headset and features:
- 7.1 surround sound: 360° surround sound effect
- Professional software provided by Edifier allows 7.1 virtual speaker shifter, equalizer, environment effect for customized setting, and other functions like surround max, microphone echo, magic voice, microphone boost etc.
- Large 50mm NdFeB drivers deliver high ultra-clear audio precision which allow you to hear everything on the battlefield, while 7.1 surround sound effect recreates all the subtle and explosive parts of a precise 3D soundscape in a premium sound.
- RGB light effects with soft varied colours
- High-performance detachable noise cancelling microphone that reduces background and ambient noises for crystal-clear communication and delivers studio quality voice clarity
- Adjustable, flexible padded headband with an ergonomic frame, perfect for providing long-lasting comfort for hours of gameplay
- Compact design of soft leatherette earmuffs
- Comfortable and lightweight fit, weighting only 266g (9.38 ounces)
- Easy In-Line Adjustment Control
- Available in black, white and pink (pink come with cat ears)
- Multi-platform compatible with PC, PS4, Mac, Laptop, Desktop with USB connection, not for XBOX.
The Edifier G2 II gaming headset works on several different platforms: PC, PS4, Mac, Laptop, Desktop with USB connection, but unfortunately not on the Xbox (with is our games console of choice). Fortunately, both girls also like to play games on their laptops so using them wasn’t going to be an issue.
The cat ears really appealed to both kids (10 and 13), as they just gave them that stylish uniqueness that appeals to teenagers and young adults. The cat ears are detachable, perfect for all gaming experiences. As well as their lovely appearance with the cat ears and RGB light effects, they also sound great and are very light and comfortable to wear (especially over extended gaming periods) – you do forget that you are wearing them at times.
The sound quality is perfect with the virtual 7.1 surround sound enhancing the gaming experience, customised using professional sound effect software (for Windows 7/8/10 devices, the software is not supported on Mac devices).
Overall, the kids love the Edifier G2 II USB Wired Gaming Headphones with 7.1 Surround Sound. They are the perfect pair of budget-friendly mid-price lightweight gaming headphones. The comfort, short- and long-term wearing, is fantastic, and the sound quality is just excellent.
As a gaming headset they are more than just an audio experience. We have already mentioned the detachable cat ears, but they also feature a rather cool 16.8 million RGB lighting effect on the earcups with various breathing lights. And as gaming headset you also need to be able to chat with other players and friends so feature a detachable microphone as you may not want or need it there all the time.
We all found them very simple and easy to use (even the 7.1 surround sound software – easily downloaded from the Edifier website). The headset uses a USB connection rather than a 3.5mm jack, making them accessible for gaming systems including PC’s (unfortunately they don’t work with the Xbox). The USB connection also provides power for the LED lights. All you have to do is plug them into an available USB port and off you go (if using on a PC or laptop you will have to wait a moment or two for them to complete driver install). On PC’s and laptops, you can also download the 7.1 surround sound software to enhance sound features and make the gaming experience vastly superior.
Headphones can generally feel heavy when wearing then for a long time, but not so much with the G2 II headset. They are ultra-lightweight, weighing only 266g, with a padded lightweight adjustable headband and feature skin-friendly, breathable earcups for lasting comfort all day. They fit well on the adults and the children, easily adjusted and the breathable earcups cocooned the ears perfectly and without any overheating of our ears or any pressure discomfort. You do forget that you are wearing then at times.
No matter how stylish a headset looks or as comfortable as it might be, the sound quality is always going to be the most important feature. The G2 II gaming has excellent sound quality. The sound is crystal clear, even at their loudest volume. The virtual 7.1 surround sound when playing games is sublime, delivering gaming details with superb crystal-clear precision, all in 360° sphere around you. The accurate sound positioning ensures that you can make out exactly which direction the sound (gunfire, footsteps, engine noises etc.) is coming from, which in complex gaming is a must and really immerses you in the gaming experience.
For those that play online games where you chat to friends and other players you need a microphone. This headset comes with a detachable microphone, which we much prefer as it allows the headphones to be much more versatile than gaming headphones with a fixed mic as it can easily be removed when playing games that do not require communicating with anyone else. These also have a nice little safety feature to prevent the microphone becoming detached whilst using them – with other headphones with detachable microphones that we have used the mic just plugs in using a 3.5mm jack, with the Edifier G2 II the mic works the same way but after plugging the mic in you rotate it to lock it into place to prevent the connection becoming loose or falling out. The microphone can be turned on and off from the in-line control unit on the cable (there is a red LED to let you know if it is on or off). The sound is perfect and very clear, using noise cancellation to eliminate as much background noise as possible for a better experience.
On the in-line control unit (on the cable) you will find a button for lights, each earcup features dynamic RGB light effects with gradually changing soft varied colours. The lights add a tranquil atmosphere to gaming and each light is covered by a woven metal mesh, providing good protection and style. You do not need to have these on and can be turned on and off as needed.
Also, on the in-line control unit, the volume can also be easily controlled. It features a wheel on the side to adjust the sound level up and down with speed and ease.
The headset also comes with a generous 2.5m (8.2ft) cable so that you are not sitting too close to the screen when playing games.
With the quality of build, design, style and sound these gaming headphones are expensive right? Not really, they have the look, feel and sound quality of much more expensive headsets but they are budget-friendly enough to suit all pockets at under £60, and they really don’t compromise on quality.
The Edifier G2 II USB Gaming Headset is an excellent quality pair of gaming headphones with crystal clear 7.1 surround sound effects and all-day comfort. The price may be budget-friendly in the mid-price range, but the quality is far superior and are perfect for all your gaming needs. We would rate them 4.5 out of 5. Why not 5 out of 5 as we clearly love them? It would have been if they had worked with our Xbox.
So if you have a moody teenager in your house (or even the rarer non-moody one) that loves gaming, give them a better gaming experience this Christmas with the Edifier G2 II USB Gaming Headset.
Rating: 4.5/5
RRP: £69.99
For more information, visit www.edifier.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
