#hxgen2

For years, the RIG gaming headsets have set the standard for what a low-cost headset should sound and feel like. NACON bought the RIG line in 2020 and has just introduced new and enhanced versions of some of the headsets in the last few weeks. These Gen 2 headsets have improved audio as well as more comfortable and attractive aesthetics. The RIG 500 PRO HX Gen 2 is exactly what gamers have been waiting for. It has a fantastic soundstage, is really comfy, and is reasonably priced.

PRICE

The RIG 500 Pro HX Gen 2 headset is available at $79.99. It is priced in the mid-range for a wired headset, and its closest competitors are the Razer Kraken Ultimate or the Razer Blackshark V2 X with the SCUF H1 at the top end of the category.

The headsets can be inserted into any audio port, making it compatible with the PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC — albeit the branding and drivers are tailored to the Xbox and PC platforms.

DESIGN

The headset has a beautiful black steel headband. It works like an exoskeleton, and the remaining gears appear to be connected and suspended from the central chassis. This made the whole earplug feel light and comfortable, but after a while, we noticed that the top of the head and around the ears were pinched.

While the headset is too cheap to offer proper, tech-powered noise canceling, the isolated closed-cup design (with dual-material ear cushions on the inside) results in a great sound-excluding barrier, and while the cups themselves do a decent job of eliminating ambient noise in most household environments, the headset is too cheap to offer proper, tech-powered noise canceling.

Despite the fact that the headset’s cable claims to be durable and damage-resistant, the connection to the headset is fragile and vulnerable: Keep that in mind if you’re a tense player who frequently puts on and takes off your headset — it appears to be a weak place, and one breaking there might cost you $79.99.

AUDIO PERFORMANCE

The headset excels in complex, multi-layered soundscapes thanks to its strong 50mm driver. Fans of first-person shooters and shooters, in general, eat your hearts out. If you’re a competitive or pro-level player, the sound stage allows you to swiftly and easily locate sound cues and respond to threats without pausing. The sound effects are isolated and transmitted clearly, usually without affecting background music. Moving from a massive, noisy game to something more ambient and personal, such as Subnautica, only served to highlight the headset’s ability to handle complex and rich sounds.

High-pitched noises and cartoony titles don’t work as well with those good, weighty drivers because the headset has a propensity to underperform at the very top end. However, that slightly weak high-end could simply be a method of expressing how fantastic the low-end is; the upper end of the spectrum isn’t horrible, just not as good as what the headset was clearly meant for.

MICROPHONE QUALITY AND WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY

The detachable microphone is unique in that it is both removable and flip-to-mute, which this reviewer has never seen in any headset. The disadvantage of having both is that it is quite satisfied to move on its own behalf – if you switch to silence and move too quickly, it may return to rest by your mouth. Isn’t it bad if you’re waiting in the lobby of Call of Duty: Warzone while snacking on a bag of chips?

The microphone also looks mediocre. For these tests, we decided to test the headset to understand their performance in a typical gaming environment. We realized the mic was the weakest aspect of the headset’s design when we tossed it onto a nearby couch — it will pick up every whisper you utter but get careless just once, and it will break. We’re not criticizing it for it, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re considering purchasing this headset.

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