By David Shields
Manufacturer: GAMDIAS Technology
Product Name: EROS ELITE EQ
Model Number: GHS3610
UPC: 4712960130074 EAN: 848475000466
Price As Tested: $69.99 (Amazon | Newegg)Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by GAMDIASTechnology.
You probably aren’t as familiar with GAMDIAS as you might be with Corsair, NZXT, Cooler Master, or another big brand. GAMDIAS mainly produces gaming peripherals, including keyboards, mice, headsets, and other accessories. You might remember me reviewing the Hermes Essential Cherry MMX gaming keyboard a while back. I was very impressed with this product from an up and coming manufacturer, and looked forward to reviewing their next new product, the EROS ELITE EQ headset.
The GAMDIAS EROS ELITE EQ gaming headset features a lightweight design with an innovative cooling design, 7.1 surround sound, and an attractive $79.99 price tag. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we’ll take a look at just how comfortable this USB headset is, and whether or not it should be your next choice for gaming.
From GAMDIAS – “EROS ELITE EQ is tailor-made for the professional gamer. Switch audio modes between Surround Sound, First Person Shooter and Bass-Boost via the in-line remote. Professionally tuned acoustic simulator allows gamers to select their favorite acoustic environment while the exclusive EOS-controlled voice changer provides easy and fun voice tuning and modification.
The featherweight EROS Elite EQs’ plush leather, 60% memory foam ear pads and built-in cooling structure provide maximum comfort even on prolonged gaming sessions. The flexible unidirectional microphone is removable for easy storage when not in use. With the EROS Elite EQ, gamers can level-up in comfort and style!”
| Frequency Range | 20 ~ 20000Hz |
| Sensitivity | 108dB + / – 3 dB at 1 kHz |
| Impedance | 32 Ohm + / – 15% |
| Microphone | 2.5mm/Unidirectional |
| Microphone Sensitivity | -58 + / – 3 dB |
| Cable Length | 2.8M + / – 3cm |
| Plug Type | Gold-plated USB plug |
| Dimension | (L x W x H)220 x 175 x 109 mm |
The headphones arrived in a box showcasing the headset and its various features. Regardless of where your headphones are ordered, rest assured they’ll show up in one piece. Opening the packaging was easy, though you’ll need something sharp for the cables securing the headset.
The headband features a two layers. The inner band rest comfortably on top of your head while the outer band provides support. It’s very comfortable, and you hardly notice something is on your head (results may vary depending on your head/hair I’m sure).
These phones wrap around your ears with plenty of room to spare. Made from heavy plastic, you still won’t feel as much weight on your head thanks to the support band. A GAMDIAS logo is on each side with a bright yellow LED. As you can see from the photo, part of the ear cover is glossy and will pick up fingerprints, so if you don’t want people to see that don’t touch it!
A detachable microphone is included. This unidirectional microphone has a bending extension that can be used to position the mic appropriately for different people. It is very flexible and will go any direction (up/down/left/right) to suit its user.
A control panel is fitted to the USB cord with a variety of controls. Each control is firm and depresses with a tactile click. At the top is a volume control and microphone mute button. Below that are three buttons that control various sound settings. You can enable/disable surround sound or switch between FPS/bass sound.
First impressions often mean a lot in my reviews, and I certainly got a strong one from the EROS ELITE EQ. Its comfortable, lighter to wear than it appears, and provides simple but useful functionality.
When testing a headset, it is important to consider more than just audio quality. Comfort, as well as use in differing situations is of paramount importance. For testing, I used this headset in the following situations – [1] as a gaming headset, while playing the space simulator Star Citizen. [2] General use while watching video and listening to music. [3] Use as a broadcast headset in a loud, crowded environment.
While gaming, the 7.1 surround sound provided an excellent experience. However, I quickly discovered that while the overall sounds and quality was increased, it still seem a little hollow. You also couldn’t tell if the sound was directional. In addition, using the surround/FPS/bass produced no discernible difference in sound quality.
While listening to music and video, similar issues with audio quality arose, with audio still sounding slightly hollow regardless of settings.
This isn’t a noise canceling headset so you shouldn’t expect any noise filtration, but it seemed to me that noise penetrated the phones more easily than others in my third test. The microphone had acceptable quality, and picked up my voice accurately. Along with everything nearby. I’d game someplace that is quiet if you don’t want extraneous noise.
What I did love about this headset though is how comfortable it is. GAMDIAS lists it as including a built in cooling system. Something of a misnomer, but it is very well ventilated. I once had a pair of very expensive noise canceling headphones from Bose that weren’t very comfortable after a while, as they tended to crimp and cause sweating. No problems here though, I wore the EROS ELITE for a couple hours and remained nice and cool. Plus, no headphone hair!
One final note – GAMDIAS lists this headset as working on PC and PS4. I can confirm it also works with Mac.
When purchasing this headset, you have two main factors to consider. Comfort and price. I wouldn’t purchase this for the sound quality alone. But at it’s price point, it’s a strong buy, and a good choice for those who might place comfort over performance. If you want to take them a step further, download the extra software from GAMDIAS and play around with some of the various surround presets.
Attached to the USB cord is a small control panel that lets you select between Surround / FPS / Bass modes. Unfortunately, after strenuous testing I was hard pressed to hear any difference between each mode. Sound was flat and didn’t have any real directional effects.
I’m used to being seen running around wearing large ear covering headphones, but wearing the EROS definitely attracted a lot of attention, most likely due to the large GAMDIAS logos lit by yellow LEDs on each side. Or perhaps it was because the glossy black plastic was covered in so many fingerprints it turned grey. Regardless, I think this is the first time I’ve honestly struggled to appreciate the appearance of a product I’ve reviewed. Its clunky, much to big, and not all that attractive.
Made from predominantly hard and soft plastics with some leather, this headset has a lot of wiggle room for various head sizes. While I didn’t feel that any of the parts were particularly fragile, I question how long it will last under constant wear and tear.
Functionally, the EROS ELITE has everything you need for a basic gaming headset. It’s not the best in the market, but at this price point, it doesn’t have to be. The GAMDIAS EROS ELITE EQ is available online for $69.99 (Amazon | Newegg), you get ample bang for your buck. 7.1 simulated surround sound, detachable microphone, and an immensely comfortable design make this a recommended buy for those looking for a gaming headset on a budget.
+ Very comfortable and well ventilated.
+ Light.
+ Relatively sturdy.
+ Includes everything needed for a basic gaming headset.
– Simulated surround sound is closer to stereo than surround.
– Slightly hollow noise.
– Exterior noise tends to penetrate easily.
-
Performance: 8.00
-
Appearance: 8.00
-
Construction: 9.00
-
Functionality: 8.75
-
Value: 8.75
