JBL's Quantum One Provides An Audio Experience Comparable To VR

The JBL Quantum One wired headset for PC gaming has one very fascinating trick that is not worth the hype or the $300 price, unfortunately. This uses a gyroscope to monitor your head movements when you are playing games to improve the surround-sound effect. JBL's hardware will make you feel like you're in the game itself, compared to most headphones that only use software-based surround sound.

The headset is theoretically successful at what it's setting out to do. For example, if you're talking to a character in The Outer Worlds and turning your head to the side (not controlling the in-game character, mind you, your actual head), the sound would change as it would in real life. The audio is directed at the ear that faces who or what is speaking to you.

One may argue that this head-tracking function might be useful in first- and third-person games where the field-of-view of your character is small, or where you're using an ultra-wide monitor (or multiple monitors). The standard surround-sound effect of the Quantum One, however, is more than good enough to cluing us into sounds we should pay attention to without the need to raise our head. Frankly, I think that JBL overestimates in general how few people turn their heads when they play.

PROS:

• Good sound quality and noise cancellation effect
• Works with PC and other sources of audio through its 3.5 mm cable
• Lighting effects are spectacular above and enjoyable to tweak

CONS:

• The head-tracking tech is trivial
• The gyroscope requires frequent re-centering
• The braided wiring is rigid and difficult to handle

FEATURES:

1. This headset has more to it than just the available gyroscopic tracking. It has tall, over-ear cups full of frenetic LEDs that put on a display really. The lighting pattern and color can be tailored for three different sections: the outer-facing logo at the side of each cup, the LED trim wrapped around it, and a small section close to the bottom of each side.
2. The Quantum One is powered by a USB-C port where a thick braided cable with an in-line game chat and an audio mixer is plugged into. Although the cable is strong, the handling is stiff and cumbersome.
3. The headset also features a headphone jack and JBL provides a smaller, compact 3.5 mm cable that can be plugged into any audio source, whether it's a tablet, iPad, Nintendo Switch, PS4 controller or something else. But you won't be able to use head-tracking audio from the headset, because this cable can't power it.

The concerns with JBL's first high-end gaming headset are quick to pile up, but the concept behind its biggest feature merits some commendation. The JBL approach works similarly to the binaural audio which makes virtual reality so immersive, while removing the need for a VR headset. But the head-tracking feature that this headset provides makes very little sense when your head can't really control your in-game perspective the way VR does.

If you're looking for a powerful sound quality gaming headset, active noise cancellation and plenty of customization options through its LEDs, that's not a bad choice on those merits alone. But at $300, it's a expensive one. This is a fascinating start for JBL in the play headset room. What are your thoughts about these? We would love to hear your opinions. Let us know in the comments below.