Peripheral manufacturer EasySMX prides themselves on producing high-quality products at low prices, with most of their multi-format gaming headsets and PC USB joypads retailing for less than £20.
We recently received the 2019 model of their popular EasySMX ‘Cool 2000’ gaming headset – which boasts over 1,500 Amazon reviews – and was left impressed not just by the sound quality, but also the build quality. It packs in a lot of features, even doubling up as a decent pair of stereo headphones with surprisingly deep bass.
The ‘Cool 2000’ – a name that’s perhaps not the greatest – comes with a 3.5mm splitter cable, allowing it to be used on Xbox One, PS4, Switch (audio only), and PC.
There’s also a USB connection present, used solely to provide extra juice for the LED function – a circle of lights in a tyre-inspired formation with a choice of three patterns. Ours featured blue LEDs, although red and orange are also available. It’s a cool, if throwaway feature, that’ll no doubt appeal more towards younger gamers. Regrettably, this does mean there’s a USB lead constantly dangling when not in use.
Both the USB and audio connectors come with transparent dust covers – an unexpected extra considering the headset’s low cost. The audio connector covers seem pointless, but the USB cover will protect it should it ever take an accidental dunk in a cup of tea.
All cables are covered in braided material instead of regular plastic, and the tip of the flexible microphone also contains a small glowing LED.
The soft padded twin speakers prevent a remarkable amount of background noise. They’re connected by an adjustable headband consisting of two, twistable, steel supports and a soft foam strap. Some of EasySMX’s product descriptions inform that it’s memory foam, but we aren’t best convinced. Either way, it’s soft and provides extra comfort.
The left speaker unit features the volume slider, LED, and mic on/off switches. As you may have noticed from the images, the padded speakers are rather chunky, boasting a 50mm sound driver.
The sound quality isn’t faultless, but it is very clear and has surprisingly deep base – the volume adjuster stops just before ‘ear defending’, resting on ‘incredibly loud’.
The sound quality seems well tuned for gaming, picking up on small noises such as footsteps and echoing gunshots in games such as Apex Legends. After an hour or so of play, the headset does start to feel a weighty, but it’s hard to see how this could’ve been rectified without resorting to thinner, less durable, materials.
The EasySMX ‘Cool 2000’ gaming headset is an easy recommendation, especially for the price. Even some of the more expensive headsets pale in comparison. To describe it as a high-end product would be off the mark – it sells found around £20, after all – but if you’re after a low-cost headset and can contend with a few minor compromises, this is one of the best options available.
Review sample provided by EasySMX.