{"id":11527,"date":"2020-11-01T13:09:01","date_gmt":"2020-11-01T02:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reckoner.com.au\/?p=11527"},"modified":"2020-11-01T13:09:01","modified_gmt":"2020-11-01T02:09:01","slug":"review-epos-sennheiser-gsp-601-gsp-602-gaming-headset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reckoner.com.au\/reviews\/review-epos-sennheiser-gsp-601-gsp-602-gaming-headset\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: EPOS | Sennheiser GSP 601 & GSP 602 gaming headset"},"content":{"rendered":"
7<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Amazon - A$277<\/span>
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Sennheiser is a name long synonymous with audio equipment. EPOS on the other hand may have you turning your head to one side. The newly developed brand was formed in late 2019 to act as the face of Sennheiser Communications’ gaming products. To celebrate the new brand EPOS have decided to re-release one of Sennheiser’s most successful gaming headsets, the GSP 600 in not one, but two new colourways.<\/p>\n

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The GSP 601 headset in their box<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Design<\/h2>\n

The new GSP 601 & GSP 602 inject some colour into what has typically been a modest aesthetic under the Sennheiser moniker. Compared to other brands EPOS have delicately balanced their colour offerings. Instead of gaudy “gamer” combos they’ve chosen an inverted white base with black highlights for the GSP 601 and a deep metallic blue with flicks of silver and tan leather cups on the GSP 602.<\/p>\n

As expected the build of the headset is predominately plastic, but has a very industrial\/sci-fi feel to it that pairs well with its metallic gloss. I really appreciate how the colours are paired without a garish attitude yet still manage to make a statement.\u00a0 The 602s especially have a refined appearance, if only for the tan cups.<\/p>\n

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Soft cups do a great job on passive noise reduction<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The headset’s microphone boom has some chunkiness to it that I absolutely love. It swivels down from an upright position to activate and doesn’t hide the fact it’s there. Celebrated instead of hidden away the microphone looks good and performs better for its size.<\/p>\n

There are no pulsing LEDs hidden about the headset. The passively powered unit does away with the bombastic to offer a minimalist approach with maximum compatibility.<\/p>\n

Supplied with braided cables they can be connected to anything with a 3.5mm output. There are two versions of cables included. Both have a 2.5mm jack on an extended plastic shroud that’s connects to the headset, whilst on the other end there is one with a single 3.5mm jack and another with two 3.5mm jacks that split the audio input and microphone output.<\/p>\n

Features<\/h2>\n

The GSP 601 & GSP 602 are feature-rich in their lack of features. Their ease of compatibility by using a 3.5mm cable for example means instead of having bluetooth (which means a battery, which means charging, which means USB cables) they simply just plug in and work.<\/p>\n

Their passive power also means there is no active noise cancellation. The large cups and unvented enclosure of the ear cups means they do an excellent job of blocking external noise. Even with some of the biggest lobes in town I had no issues comfortably wearing the GSP 602 headset for extended periods of time.<\/p>\n

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Included braided cables<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unlike most modern headset the GSP 601 & GSP 602 is a 100% stereo offering. Instead of virtually reproducing sound via in-built wizardry the passive power curtails any experience beyond the simple left and right. Sadly many could see this as a deal breaker. The inability for directional sound in engrossing gaming situations does hinder the experience for some. Personally I was unperturbed and again preferring their flexibility in use-case over faux-surround-sound.<\/p>\n

In addition the headset’s pivoting microphone there is only one other moving piece. A jog wheel on the exterior of the headset’s right cup allows you to control its volume. The wheel’s movement feels particular rigid, which I enjoyed. Unlike the free-spinning mouse wheels that spin like they’re in a vacuum this has a tangible resistance. Changing the headset’s volume isn’t something you’re going to do accidentally.<\/p>\n