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Plantronics has tried to do something very different in the gaming headset market with the RIG 500 series. The unit we looked at today was the eSports model, which incorporate 40mm drivers, one style of headband and two styles of headphone, one being completely closed back and one featuring a more open-back design.
I must admit that I have never really thought about building my own headset but it is hard to argue with consumer choice. That said, due to the modular design, there isn't as much room for adjustability with the headband, you only have three static height options for the ear cups and there is very little tilt.
However, I found these headphones to feature a well-balanced sound though the 40mm drivers do struggle to maintain detail and fidelity at higher volumes. Perhaps larger 50mm drivers would help here but given that the Rig 500 is the entry level model here and targets a lower price point, I can see why Plantronics went the way it did.
The Plantronics Rig 500 is available for £75 on Amazon UK and £70 at Scan, so it will face some tough competition from more refined headsets, such as the Kingston HyperX Cloud series. However, if you have around £70 just waiting to be spent on a new headset, then the Plantronics RIG 500E is worth considering.
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Pros:
- Open and closed back headphones.
- Modular system is a neat idea.
- Decent microphone.
Cons:
- Headband doesn't offer much adjustability.
- 40mm drivers can struggle to maintain detail at high volumes.
- Tough competition in price bracket.
KitGuru Says: The Plantronics Rig 500 gives users a lot of choice in one package. However, that does involve some sacrifices.
