Chaos Hour

Gioteck EX-05 Lite Gaming Headset Review

The Gioteck Ex-05 Is A Great Alternative To The Standard Xbox 360 & PS3 Headset For The Same Price.

Developer: Gioteck

Gioteck are one of the more known mainstream gaming brands on the high street and online. They enrich their products with both innovation and enthusiasm to provide for the gamers. Although they have a wide range of headsets for the Xbox 360 and PS3 the EX-05 Lite is one of their latest products. The Ex-05 Lite is the smaller brother of the original EX-05 but for half the price. What could go wrong?

Design

As said before Gioteck EX-05 Lite is a smaller version of the bigger Ex-05. It only features one ear piece and half the features however that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The EX-05 Lite is designed to be a gaming headset directed for those looking for an alternative to the bog standard headsets which are provided with the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The design is big and bulky and may not be the most attractive however once it is placed on your head that isn't an issue.

The top of the headset has a thin mesh layer to support your head and the ear piece can be adjusted to fit comfortably around your head. However due to its large wires and bulky sound controller the headset can be a little fiddly. The EX-05 has a built in microphone which can be twisted and adjusted to your liking. If it gets in your way you can even just place it vertically to avoid distraction.

Comfort

Comfort is a prime factor for any headset. Although at first impressions the EX-05 Lite was surprisingly comfortable, after long hours of game play its faults do show and there is nothing that can be done to avoid it. Due to its large design Gioteck have tried to balance the headset so one side is not so heavy, but because of the wires and control box hanging off the one ear piece during game play you will constantly shift the headset up to become comfortable again.

The earpiece has a large layer of cushion which is great and surrounds your ear with great comfort. This cannot be said about the other side. Due to it only having only one ear piece the other side is just supported plastic with a thin layer of cushion to protect your head. The issues presented themselves after an hour of gaming when the headset just became frustrating.

Sound Quality

You won't be able to hear the sound of the game through this headset however it does an amazing job at zoning in on your team communications. As it only focuses on your team mates voices it is crystal clear and loud enough to not distract from your gaming experience. For this reasoning alone the EX-05 Lite proves itself that even for the same price tag as the standard Xbox 360 headset they can provide a product which performs better with greater quality.

The built in microphone has no issues with transmitting your voice either. Other headsets will pick up your voice with ease and due to its noise suppression technology you won't get any background noise from any annoyances in the other gamers room.

Features

The EX-05 Lite is minimal on the features front as it only comes with the necessary equipment to wire up the headset to either your Xbox 360, PC or Playstation 3. Hanging from the ear piece is a voice controller which controls which console you want to use the headset on, a voice volume controller as well as the input for the Xbox 360 Controller. The Headset is USB powered so you will need a free USB socket from your console or gaming device.

Connectivity

Connecting the Gioteck EX-05 Lite is a breeze. Although it comes with in box instructions they really aren't needed. You simply plug in the USB lead into your console and then done. For Xbox 360 users you will need a small cable to connect your EX-05 Lite to your controller however Gioteck have been good enough to supply it with the headset.

When using the PC no drivers are needed so it is pretty much plug in and play.

Conclusion

It is common knowledge that the standard headsets for both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 aren't that great. They are fragile, the sound quality is poor and they are overpriced for what they are. The EX-05 Lite provides the customer with a perfect alternative to those headsets. This headset is normally priced at £19.99 and is a complete bargain when compared to some other headsets for that price. However those of you who are looking for a more professional gaming headset would probably be much more rewarded in choosing the EX-05 instead of the Lite version.