Gaming Headsets: A Budget-Friendly Option

As any gamer knows, high-quality gaming headsets can be quite expensive. My personal favorite gaming headset costs over $300, which is far beyond the average gamer's budget. However, there are times when you just need a gaming-oriented headset that won't break the bank, and I'm here to review one such option under $20.

The Model: G5 Gaming Headset from Afunta

The "Model: G5" gaming headset from Afunta is designed to work with various devices including the PS4, Xbox 360, PC, and mobile devices. To accommodate these different platforms, it comes equipped with basic green and pink mic and headphone 3.5mm audio jacks, as well as a 4-pole splitter for the PS4 and mobile devices, and an Xbox 360 chat adapter. This versatility is a definite plus, allowing users to hook up this headset to just about anything.

Design and Build Quality

Physically, the headset has a rather generic design which, while not ideal, gets the job done. However, the use of both matte and glossy black plastic in the construction of the headset is somewhat confusing and should be avoided altogether. Committing to one or the other would greatly improve the overall aesthetic and feel of the product. The height adjustment is achieved through simple plastic notches that, although not very sturdy, still manage to provide a satisfactory experience.

The ear cups swivel slightly, which is a welcome feature despite not being overly extensive. The ear pads are removeable, allowing users to replace them if they find compatible ones, though this could change the sound stage. The microphone has what appears to be around 160-170 degrees of rotation but does not fully rotate all the way back, making it non-reversible. Furthermore, there is no mic mute switch which can be a significant annoyance for some users.

The Volume Control

The volume knob on the cable is decent but not outstanding in any way. On the other hand, the cable itself is fairly flexible, which adds to its usability. It's worth noting that while I would prefer a suspension-style headset, Afunta does offer this feature in their G3 model, making it potentially a better option for those looking for more advanced features.

The Price

One of the most striking aspects of the Model: G5 gaming headset is its price - just $18 dollars. Considering its quality and functionality, this is a fantastic bargain that might tempt many gamers into giving it a try.

Sound Quality

As with most budget-friendly headsets under twenty bucks, one would expect subpar sound quality. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how the Model: G5 performs in terms of sound isolation when the volume is high. It truly blocks out external noises well, even in environments as noisy as mine (my super loud A/C and dishwashing machine running), allowing users to fully immerse themselves in their games.

However, channel separation is quite poor, especially noticeable during audio tests that require distinct channels to be separated. On the other hand, rear sounds were properly isolated from the main sounds, which was a relief. The audio itself feels muddy at times and lacks high-end clarity, not surprising given its price. But for music with EQ turned off, it can sound quite bad.

Using the Headset for Console Gaming

I tested out the console capabilities of this headset using the PS4 controller while plugging the headset into the controller. To my surprise, it didn't perform as well as other headsets like the SteelSeries Siberia 200 which I know play exceptionally well with controllers. The sound on PS4 was surprisingly muffled and did not have a clear direction position or up-close soundstage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Model: G5 gaming headset from Afunta may not be a stellar performer in terms of sound quality and performance, especially when compared to other higher-end headsets. However, given its price - literally next to nothing - it is better than no headset at all, making it an acceptable choice for casual gamers or those who can't afford more expensive options. Its lightweight construction ensures that it remains comfortable even during long gaming sessions.

Thanks so much for watching my review of the Afunta G5 gaming headset. If you enjoyed this video, please smash that like button and don’t forget to subscribe. Leave a comment in the section below saying whether or not you think an $18 dollar headset is worth using. Also, make sure to check out the links provided in the description for my Twitter, Instagram, Patreon campaign, and more. I’ll see you next time.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enGaming headsets can be pretty expensive.In fact, my favorite gaming headset costsover $300 - which is generally out of youraverage gamer’s budget.Sometimes you just need a gaming-orientedheadset that won’t break the bank - andI have one here for you today for under $20.Let’s check it out.This is the “Model: G5” gaming headsetfrom Afunta.It’s designed to work with the PS4, Xbox360, PC, and mobile devices.For this, it has your basic green and pinkmic and headphone 3.5mm audio jacks, but inthe box also comes with a 4-pole splitterfor the PS4 and mobile devices, and an Xbox360 chat adapter.Afunta wanted to make sure you could hookthis headset up to just about anything - andwith a 16 ohm impedance for its 40mm drivers,you can do just about that.Taking a physical tour of the headset, wehave just about as generic a design as possible- which is fine.What isn’t fine, however, is the confusinguse of both matte and glossy black plastic.While the glossy plastic should be avoidedlike the plague, you should at least committo one or the other!Having both is just weird, and the glossyplastic should be dropped immediately.The height adjustment is just plastic notches,but they feel surprisingly sturdy.The ear cups swivel ever so slightly.There’s not a ton of swivel, but there issome and that’s pretty good to have.The rubbery plastic for the ear cups and topband - which is a solid top band, by the way- scream cheap.Put it on your head and it feels like you’rewearing a toy.It feels cheap, but it doesn’t hurt or feelbad per se - it just feels cheap.It could be worse.You will, however, build up some heat underthis headset.The ear pads are removeable, and so you couldreplace them if you found compatible ones.This will change the sound stage, however.You have very hard to see “L” and “R”letters to indicate the left and right earcups,with “Letton” in blue written on the rightside and Model: G5 written on the mic on theleft.The microphone has what seems to be about160 to 170 degrees of rotation, but does NOTrotate all the way back, so it’s not reversible.There’s also no mic mute switch, which canbe very annoying.There’s a volume knob inline on the cable,which is decent, but not great by any means.The cable is decently-flexible, though.As usual, I would prefer a suspension styleheadset, but they do offer that in their G3headset, so maybe that could be a good alternative,too.I do believe it’s cheaper than this G5.Speaking of price, did I mention this headsetwas only EIGHTEEN DOLLARS?That’s not bad.Not bad at all.So, for that price, how do they sound?Well, about how you might expect for undertwenty bucks, but they do surprise me in someways.These are closed-back headphones with a veryup-close sound stage.So for noise isolation, these are actuallyreally, really good when the volume is high.Even with my super loud A/C on, dishwashergoing, etc.I pretty much only hear my game.However, channel separation is really, reallybad.It’s not super noticeable other than forspecific tests, but I ran it through my AdobeAudition 5.1 channel audio test, and the leftand right channels were not separate at all.Rear Left and Rear Right were perfectly separated,however, and rear center sounded like it wasfront center.So don’t expect this to be the most epicpositioning headset you’ve ever used…or even good for that at all.The audio from this headset isn’t superclear, it definitely feels muddy at times.This isn’t helped by the fact that there’svirtually no detail in the high-end.Very disappointing.For music, if I turn on an EQ for, the RockEQ preset in iTunes, for example, it soundspretty decent, but with EQ off it just soundsreally bad.I noticed something weird with music withthis headset - with general music, rock andelectronic-y dubstep-y stuff, you don’tget any high-end detail, but for music thatis purely focused on the high-end like K-Pop,you hear a lot more of it.There’s a lot less mudding with that kindof music.I tested out its console capabilities withthe PS4, by plugging it into the PS4 controller.While other headsets like the SteelSeriesSiberia 200 play great with the controller,this one does not get loud at all - whichis odd, since the G5’s impedance is halfthat of the Siberia 200.The sound on PS4 was super muffled sounding,and the up-close sound stage means directionalpositioning is downright impossible.So this, in a nutshell, is the Model: G5 gamingheadset from AFUNTA.Or Letton.I’m really not sure where the “Letton”came from, but it’s on the side of the headset.It doesn’t sound great, but it costs nextto nothing and is better than no headset.Since it’s so lightweight, it stays fairlycomfortable during long gaming sessions, despitebeing a solid-band headset.Thanks so much for watching my review of theAFUNTA G5 gaming headset.If you enjoyed it, smash that like button,don’t forget to subscribe, and leave mea comment saying whether or not you woulduse a eighteen dollar headset.Also check out links in the description formy Twitter, Instagram, Patreon campaign - thingslike that, and I’ll see you next time.\n"