A4tech HD-800 Dolby Virtual 7.1 USB Headset Review

Are you a gamer who wants to experience surround sound but doesn't want to disturb your neighbors? Or you don't have the money to buy those way too expensive 5.1 headphones which almost costs as a 5.1 surround speakers? Try the A4tech HD-800, for a price of $25 it offers a virtual 7.1 surround for an affordable price.

I have used two headsets that offers real 5.1 surround (3-4 speakers in each cup) and that is the Zalman Theatre 6 and the Tritton AX360 Dolby Digital headset. The Zalman broke and the AX360 wont fully work (its rumble/bass) on a PC. Because of that, I decided to give the A4tech HD-800 a try to fill my surround needs especially for gaming.


Comfort

The HD-800 is very comfortable. It covers all the areas of my ears without touching it. It feels very light too. I didn't feel any strain on my ears after hours of gaming and listening to music. The 1.8m cord is long enough to give you freedom for your movements. The clip and the volume control is very useful too.

Sound Quality

I'm very surprised how this headset sounds! It really exceeds my expectation! I've tried headsets from Sennheiser, Sony, JBL, Philips and other known brands and I can really say that the HD-800's sound quality is on par with the said brands.

Music:
The HD-800 is really good at music. The sound stage, imaging and overall sound quality is good. The HD-800 is way better than my once owned Zalman Theatre 6 5.1 headset in music. I used my Sennheiser PMX 100 for a head to head comparison and I can say that the HD-800 rivals my PMX100. The Sennheiser PMX 100 has the better overall sound quality but I use the HD-800 more on my PC because I like the Dolby effect and the difference is not really far anyway. Plus, the HD-800 does a good job at blocking outside noise.

Gaming:
I immediately felt the difference after switching from my stereo PMX100 to the HD-800. I can feel the surround and I can sense the direction of the sound when playing Call of Duty 4, Counterstrike Source and other 1st person and 3rd person games, it really helps pinpointing enemies. The virtual 7.1 really works! The audio positioning is not really that accurate compared to a true 5.1 surround headset like my Zalman 5.1 headset and Tritton AX360 Dolby Digital headset but you can feel it anyway.

Movies:
The Dolby effect really enchances the movie viewing experience. The bass is great, it can handle explosions and other low frequency effects of a movie. This headset just became my companion when watching movies on my laptop.

Conclusion

The A4tech HD-800 is a really great product. It really exceeds my expectations. For a cheap price (around $25) it rivals other headsets with double its price! And it beats other headsets with the same price! I once owned a Sennheiser HD-202 that I bought for $50-60 and I really think that the A4tech HD-800 sounds better than the Senn HD-202. The virtual 7.1 really works for me. My only gripe is the sound leaks that people around you knows what music you are playing but its not a big deal anyway. Other than that I cant find any negative about this product. This headset is highly recommended!

Pros:
-Cheap
-Good sound quality
-Comfortable

Cons:
-The sound leaks

Specifications
Type:3D Surround Dolby Earphone.
Power Input:USB Power Supply.
Style:Headset
Frequency Response:20Hz~20KHz
Impedance:32Ohm
Speaker Diameter:F50mm
Sound Pressure:(1khz/0db):111db±3db
Cable Length:1.8m
MIC:-58 db±3db
Max. Power:16mw(1khz/0db)
S/N: 82db