Regardless of whether it’s a parental video conference, teaching remotely during the coronavirus crisis or an esports tournament, to fully participate you need to communicate effectively. By combining good quality audio with a removeable microphone and a way to prevent hearing loss, the PuroGamer Volume Limited Gaming Headset fits right into the school scene.
At 12.5 ounces, the black headphone has heavily padded earmuffs and adjustable headband that should feel comfortable on anyone from the smallest third grader to the bulkiest high school wrestler. Its microphone stalk plugs in and the gooseneck can be moved around to put the omnidirectional mic in front of the user’s mouth. When it’s plugged in, the blue LED glows and successfully filters out some of the room’s ambient noise, making it very helpful in a crowded classroom.
While the earmuffs can’t be replaced, the headset’s microphone stalk is not only removable but can be quickly swapped if it’s lost or broken. New ones cost $20.
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Ear-Friendly Headphones
The PuroGamer Volume Limited Gaming Headset uses a set of 40-millimeter drivers that deliver audio from 20- to 18,000 hertz, close to the range of human hearing. Happily, the PuroGamer restricts the amount of sound it produces to 85 decibels, the World Health Organization’s recommendation for the maximum volume that kids should experience and could limit the damage done to young ears.
The PuroGamer Volume Limited Gaming Headset comes with a 55-inch braided USB/analog audio cord and lacks the ability to connect over Bluetooth for when cables might get in the way. There’s a thoughtful control module on the cord for adjusting the microphone’s volume, muting it and going between its USB and headphone jacks. Many competitors make you buy either, but the PuroGamer provides both digital and analog connections. Unfortunately, the headset’s switches are stiff and once, when I thought it was on, the mike was actually muted.
It all worked well with an Asus desktop computer, an Acer Chromebase 24 and Lenovo Thinkpad T470 with crisp audio. Its midrange response is surprisingly strong, but it came up short in terms of rendering the high notes of music. This makes it great for conversations and spoken word programming, like creating podcasts or working through a digital language course. On the downside, the PuroGamer’s performance was marred by annoying pops and static when using a headphone adapter and an iPhone XR phone; it worked fine with an iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 10, however.
By the same token, the PuroGamer’s microphone delivered excellent sound, although you need to keep it close to your mouth. It came into its own during some eSports practice with all those online were able to hear what I was saying through the PuroGamer headset.
The headset includes a storage bag, but its one-year warranty falls short of the two-years of coverage included with HyperX headsets. Still, at $70, the Puro Gamer is an inexpensive way to hear and be heard.
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More: PuroSound
