By Meng Vang
Manufacturer: KYE Systems Corp.
Product Name: Zabius Universal Gaming Headset
Model Number: HS-G850
UPC: 091163244035
Price As Tested: $79.99 (Amazon)
Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Genius.
The Genius Zabius HS-G850 Gaming Headset is now available in the United States and Canada. This gaming headset comes with a variety of neat features, including LED outline strips that lights up with the bass, large 40mm neodymium driver units for deeper bass and better sound quality, a detachable microphone, and an inline control box to control volume and microphone settings. The HS-G850 supports multiple platforms, including the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Mac, and PC. Transferring to a different platform is easier thanks to the multi-platform support. To top it off, the HS-G850 looks aesthetically nice all around with its red soft cushions and glossy black finish.
The main attraction to the HS-G850 is the red LED outline strips. I have not seen many headsets with LED’s that will light up to the bass, so I will be very interested in putting this headset in a number of tests to test out the sound quality, microphone quality, comfort, and how well the LED’s can respond to the audio that is playing. Benchmark Reviews has this sample on hand, so let’s take a look at the features and specifications of the Genius Zabius HS-G850 Gaming Headset.
- Red LED outline flashes along with the bass
- Detachable and adjustable microphone
- Power indicator (Green LED)
- MIC On/off switch indicator (Red LED)
- Swivel ear cups with metal finish
- Compatible with Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC/MAC and other audio devices
- 2.5 mm input for Xbox 360 chat
| Part NO. | 31710057101 |
|---|---|
| Frequency response | 20Hz ~ 20KHz |
| Sensitivity | 117dB |
| Impedance | 32 ohm |
| Driver unit | 40mm |
| Cable Length | Headphone: 3M (10 feet) / RCA cable: 2M (6.6 feet) / 2.5mm cable: 1M (3.3 feet) |
| 3.5mm/USB | Compatible with Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC/MAC and other audio devices |
| Adjustable headband | YES |
| Mic mute | YES |
| Volume Control | YES |
| Swivel ear cup | YES |
| Microphone | YES |
- Headphone
-Driver Unit Dimensions: 40mm
-Frequency Response: 20Hz ~ 20KHz
-Impedance: 32 ohm
-Sensitivity: 117dB
-Cable Length:
-Headphone: 3M (10 feet)
-RCA cable: 2M (6.6 feet)
-2.5mm cable: 1M (3.3 feet) - Microphone
-Sensitivity: -42±3 dB
-Directivity: Omni-directional
-Frequency Response: 100Hz~10KHz
The front of the box includes an illustration of the HS-G850 along with a few important key features, such as compatibility with Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Mac, and PC. It is important for a gaming headset to have compatibility support for multiple gaming platforms. This is great because this gives the consumer a lot of flexibility to switch between different gaming platforms.
The back of the box has some specifications about the product and details about the inline control box. The control box is used to control volume and microphone settings. I will go into more details about the control box later.
Genius did a very good job with the packaging for the HS-G850. Here we can see the headset under a protective plastic shield along with more detailed features about the accessories that are included in the box.
Inside the box is a user’s manual, an RCA to 3.5mm headphone jack cable for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, a 2.5mm male to male cable for Xbox 360 chat, and the detachable and adjustable microphone.
The HS-G850 impressed me a lot as it felt very durable and well built. Setting it up was fairly quick and simple. Here is how the headset looks like when it is fully assembled.
Now that we have seen a little bit of the product, let’s go into more details about the HS-G850.
In terms of detailed features, one of the most attracting parts about the HS-G850 is the large 40mm neodymium drivers. Looking at the ear cups from the outside, we can see there is a silver metal finish along with the GX Gaming branding. On the edges of the metal finish are two red LED strips that will flash along with the bass.
The red LED’s are a great selling point. These LED’s set the HS-G850 apart from other competing gaming headsets when it comes to pure aesthetics. They can flash brightly in a darker room depending on the volume level, but a switch to turn them off would have been nice.
The ear cups do swivel a full 90 degrees, which is good for storage and travel. The only thing I thought could have been changed was having the ear cups swivel inward with the drivers to the person’s chest and exposing the red LED’s as they pulse to the music. This is not a large issue, but it would have made more sense if the red LED’s were exposed since they are what make the HS-G850 stand out from other gaming headsets.
The large 40mm neodymium driver units have a lot of padding and cushioning to provide the best comfort to the ears. The padding is made of a cloth material, which can take time to adjust to. Inside each of the two drivers is the scorpion branding logo.
Now that we have seen the detailed features of the HS-G850, let’s go into a closer look at its features.
As we take a closer look at the Genius Zabius HS-G850 headset, we can see that the headband has a thin layer of padding on it. The height cannot be physically adjusted by extending the ear cups away from the headband like on a traditional headset, but the headband does the adjusting as it can be adjusted more towards the top or bottom.
The exterior of the HS-G850 is constructed with a glossy black finish. Although it is entirely plastic, it feels durable enough to withstand a small amount of flex. Only a few visible screws can be seen on the unit, but they are not noticeable from afar.
The detachable microphone has a 2.5mm jack that may be plugged into only the left ear cup. This is a great position to place the microphone as it does not get in the way during a gaming session. Since it is detachable, this makes the HS-G850 portable.
The control box has a number of switches and features. At the top, we can see the large GX Gaming logo with an LED strip right below it. On the side, there is an Xbox 360 chat volume, a multi-platform switch, and a microphone on/off switch. Let’s take a look around the control box.
The main volume control is located on the opposite side of the control box. This enables easy access to increasing or decreasing the volume without having to adjust the volume of your speakers, game console, or any device that is plugged into the HS-G850.
The control box also has a 2.5mm female jack. A 2.5mm male to male cable is included in the accessories packaging that is used to connect the control box to a Microsoft Xbox 360 controller. This will enable microphone support when you are playing on the Xbox 360.
The LED will turn red to indicate that the microphone is not enabled. To enable the microphone, simply switch the microphone switch from “OFF” to “ON”.
Once you switch the microphone switch to “ON”, the LED will turn green to indicate that the microphone is enable. To disable it, just simple switch it back to “OFF”.
We have seen a closer look at the Genius Zabius. This includes the adjustable headband, the glossy black finish, the control box, and the microphone. Let’s go over the testing methodology and results on the next page.
In a test like this, I prefer not to run numerical benchmarks when it comes to a sound peripheral. I just want the most realistic results from the most realistic scenario. Going out to a store, picking up a headset, and coming back home to use it is exactly what most people do in the real world. I will conduct this test from the perspective of a regular consumer because this will yield the most realistic results.
I was very interested to see how well the HS-G850 stacked up with modern applications and games. Because this headset was built for gaming, it was best to focus specifically on first-person shooter titles because I felt that FPS games would be the best games to test out a headset like the HS-G850. A few games that I had played with this headset were Planetside 2 and Natural Selection 2. I also threw Grid 2 into the mix to test out the surround sound quality when it comes to racing games. I spent a lot of time listening to music from online websites and editing music files to see how it performed. Although I compared it to the Astro A40 headset, which was a complete overkill, I was rather impressed at how well the HS-G850 held up against the more expensive Astro A40. I will explain more in detail during the results.
On the test system, I used a dedicated sound card to get the most out of the HS-G850 and the Astro A40 headsets. The test system included the Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium 7.1 sound card. I tested the two headsets with default sound settings in the sound drivers then tweaked the audio settings to see how the two compared with each other. These are only my personal results, so your results may vary.
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Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 AM3+ Motherboard
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System Memory: 2 x 4GB G.SKILL Ripjaw X Series 1600MHz DDR3
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Processor: AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core Processor @ 4.4GHz
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Audio: Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
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Video: Gigabyte Radeon R9-270X 2GB
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Disk Drive 1: ADATA SP900 64GB SSD
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Disk Drive 2: Seagate Momentus Thin 320GB HDD
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PSU: Raidmax Hybrid II 630W Modular PSU
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Monitor: Acer G226HQLBbd 21.5″ 5ms LED Monitor
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Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Professional 64-Bit
- GRID 2
- Planetside 2
- Natural Selection 2
- Virtual Barber Shop
- Generic Internet Browsing
In Windows 8.1 64-bit Professional with the Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium 7.1 sound card, I was playing the game at a volume level of 26 according to the main Windows volume control. From the Creative Labs sound drivers, I tweaked the sound settings to enable a reasonable level of bass. I also enabled the Creative Crystalizer and pushed it to 100%. In both Planetside 2 and Natural Selection 2, the games were an enjoyable experience with the HS-G850. The bass does not crack or cause the drivers to rattle when there are a lot of explosions happening in both games. I could hear just about everything that is happening in the surrounding environment, including the cars coming up from behind during a race in Grid 2. The sound quality is not too bad, but it does sound a little muffled compared to the A40. This is not extremely noticeable though. I also benchmarked using the Virtual Barber Shop, which is an excellent video to test out a new set of headphones or in-ear headphones! I was amazed at just how well the virtual haircut sounds with the HS-G850.
The bass was very deep and clear and does not overpower the treble. Having the bass overpower the treble especially while watching movies or listening to music can become unbearable. Playing at different volume levels and frequencies can often cause physical rattling that could become noticeable with cheaper built speakers. The HS-G850 met my expectations since it showed no noticeable rattling or distortion while playing music at a high volume and playing at different bass frequencies.
When comparing the HS-G850 to the more expensive Asrto A40, I was unable to hear much of a difference between the two while gaming. One thing that I did notice was that the HS-G850 was just a little louder than the A40 at the same volume level, but the sounds quality offered by the A40 was just a little bit crisper and did not sound as muffled as the HS-G850. Of course, this was not noticeable when I had all of my attention towards the game. The differences in sound quality between the two headsets were not noticeable most of the time. Ideally, a gaming headset should have a normal independence level of 50 ohm. Even at 32 ohm on the HS-G850, the sound quality still stacks up very well to the much more expensive A40.
The red LED strips did pulse to the bass of the music. This was the main attraction and looked great when it comes to appearance. The volume had to be adjusted slightly higher than my preferred listening level, but this was something common to most headsets and in-ear headphones with pulsing LED’s. At a much higher volume level, the LED strips would still light up but they would be completely lit on if the volume level was too high. Again, this was only a common issue to sound peripherals with pulsing LED’s.
The control box offered different controls to support the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Mac, or PC. There was an on/off switch on the control box for the microphone and an LED that will turn green or red when the microphone was switched on or off. One thing I noticed about the control box was when I was connected to my PC with the USB power and 3.5mm headphone jack, the sound was quieter if I had the switch switched to “PS3.PC” mode. The sound was actually louder when in “XBOX” mode when connected to my PC. The microphone sounded clear enough for the receiver to understand the message but it could also pick up some unwanted background noises.
Overall, I was very satisfied with the results from the Genius Zabius HS-G850 Gaming Headset. I was not expecting it to sound as good as the more expensive Astro A40, but it sounds great for the price. A casual gamer will be very happy with this headset as it looks great and sounds great as well.
I am very satisfied with the Genius Zabius HS-G850 Gaming Headset. Although it may not be the best, it is certainly not the worst. The top headband cushion along with the ear cup cushions are comfortable but can be a bit small for some people. The red and black theme looks awesome and the build and sound quality is great for this price category. Better sound quality can be achieved through adjusting sound settings within the sound drivers. Even though it is made of plastic, there seems to be no noticeable loose parts that can cause any sort of vibration when playing loud audio. The red LED strips are the main attraction to the HS-G850 and look aesthetically appealing to the eyes. This headset will satisfy the needs for a casual gamer or just someone who wants pulsing LED’s on their headsets.
The sound quality is great for a gaming headset in this price category. Even though I compared the HS-G850 to the Astro A40, which is a much more expensive headset, it was still able to deliver good sound quality but at a much more affordable price. This headset has only 2.0 stereo surround sound but it does very well even during intense gaming sessions. It would be nice to see virtual 7.1 surround sound implemented into the HS-G850, but doing so would increase the price of the headset. The microphone also sounds clear enough for the receiving end to understand, but it can produce a static and “popping” sound if the microphone is too close to the source of audio. To prevent this from happening, you can adjust the microphone by flexing it. It can also be removed since it uses a 2.5mm jack that plugs into the left driver.
The main attraction is the red LED strips that will pulse to the bass of the audio. Finishing it off with a glossy black exterior with red cushions, the HS-G850 looks great all around. The silver metal finish on the drivers looks great to complement the black and red looks. In each of the large 40mm neodymium driver units is the scorpion logo. Once the headset is in use, the red LED’s will make it more interesting as they pulse to the bass of the audio.
Construction is not too bad at all. Flexing the headset can be done, but the plastic is durable enough to withstand the bending. The two driver units feel very well built and can be flipped out 90 degrees. When the driver units are flipped out, the entire headset still feels mostly durable and solid throughout. There are also no noticeable loose parts that can cause rattling and affecting sound quality. The cushions are also soft enough, but it is not the best material for long-term comfort. It would have been nice to see these cushions made out of leather since leather is easier to clean and sits more firmly on the ears. 50mm drivers instead of 40mm can also be more comfortable for bigger people. When wearing the headset, the control box can sometimes get in the way. I would have liked to see these controls implemented into the driver units themselves as they would still be accessible.
The HS-G850 functions exactly like how it should. Plug the USB power cord into a USB port and plug the 3.5mm headphone jack into the supporting device. For the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, attach the 3.5mm jack to the provided RCA cable then attach the RCA cable to the video cable on either the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360. For Playstation 4 and the Xbox One, the two consoles only use HDMI. This means that the RCA cable cannot be used. If you plan to use the HS-G850 with the Playstation 4 or Xbox One gaming consoles, plugging the HS-G850 straight into your HDTV can be one alternative but in my assumption, the microphone may not work. On a Windows PC, the headset would play audio through the USB port or the 3.5mm headphone jack depending on which audio device is set to default. It can function independently with just the USB plugged in, but it cannot function with only the 3.5mm headphone jack plugged in. Also note that if you are playing audio via USB, the audio settings from the sound card will not apply to what is going through the USB.
As of June 2014, the Genius Zabius HS-G850 sells for $79.99 (Amazon) At this price point, it is great to see a gaming headset with good build and great sound quality while maintaining an attracting look and style.
This is an excellent product for that it is. I will highly recommend the Genius Zabius HS-G850 Gaming Headset for gamers who seek an affordable gaming headset with great build and sound quality.
+ Looks aesthetically great
+ Red LED strips that light up with bass
+ Detachable microphone
+ Heavy in weight
+ Good build and sound quality
+ Glossy and elegant finish
+ Durable enough to withstand small flexes
+ Compatible with PC, Mac, PS3, and Xbox 360
– Ear cup padding could be larger
– Ear cups swivel but covers red LED’s
– Cushions and padding are not leather
– Headband padding is small
– Inline control box
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Performance: 9.00
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Appearance: 9.50
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Construction: 8.50
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Functionality: 8.75
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Value: 9.00
Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award.
COMMENT QUESTION: What do you like/dislike about the Genius Zabius HS-G850 Gaming Headset?
