RIG 700 Wireless Gaming Headset Review – One hell of a rig

The RIG 700 series boasts to be among the lightest wireless headsets you can come by. After using a pair over the past week, I think they might be right. It’s often interesting to me when an established company releases a new product in a series. Especially one as well established as the RIG headsets. There has to be a niche to fill. Some market that appears untapped or an improvement to be had to bother marketing a whole new item.

Now, often these changes are pointless or incremental. Sometimes it’s baffling to me even after using a product why a company would even bother. I was suspect of this with the RIG 700 as it seems the awkward middle child in the series. 

The RIG 700 sits between its siblings as a medium price point. Coming in at just under $200 it’s a bit too expensive for those wanting a decent headset at a lower price. It also doesn’t quite reach the highs of more expensive devices so I was curious as to what this new step in the ladder could offer.

RIG 700 Wireless Gaming Headset Review

As it turns out, you get a fairly decent headset. You can’t expect the quality of a $400 unit and that’s certainly not what this device is. It’s a definite step while still being really quite good for everyday gaming. Where it truly shines is in comfort. This is feather-light for a wireless unit – to the point where you’ll be looking for the wires and the battery.

I’m a somewhat sensitive scalped human and I often feel fatigued by headsets fast. The beam over the top is usually where the pressure starts to build beyond where I’m comfortable. Despite still having the cheaper all in one solid headband, the RIG 700 hasn’t yet bothered me. 

The second major factor in comfortable headsets are the ear cuffs. The RIG 700 is equipped with some soft, yet firm cans. Every time I put them on I initially felt like they were a little smaller for my elephantine ears but quickly this dissolved into comfort. I’m not too sure how this works but it seems to. I’ve worn these and had their batteries wear out before I did which is impressive.

Play Forever

When it comes to battery life, my previous compliment was in no way backhanded. I specifically reviewed the PS4 unit which also works on PC. I found the headset seemed to last about one and a half times longer than my DualShock 4 controller did when they were both fully charged.

The spec sheet boasts up to 12 hours of run time and I think under the right conditions this could be accurate. They do come with a micro USB input and you can charge and use them at the same time so, absolute worst case, at least you’re not out of the action.

Again, the battery life being what it is is much more impressive when you remember how little they weigh. I think there’s a fine balance between battery size and life. I will honestly take the slightly shorter battery life for such a light headset simply for comfort. There’s not much point having a headset with a huge battery that you can’t wear for long periods of time. For me personally, they never ran out during a play session if I charged in between and really, that’s all that matters.

Drop The Mic

I’d say one area in which the RIG700 lacks a bit of quality is the microphone. It’s fine for chat but it will pick up your breath and pop your hard consonants very easily. There is adjustable microphone monitoring so you can check how loud you’re being which is nice. I’m also glad this can be turned off because hearing my own mouth noises midway through an intense game session is something I’d rather avoid.

The microphone is detachable and slots in via the standard jack. There’s a specifically shaped hole around the jack to make sure you don’t end up putting it on the wrong way too. Unfortunately, the mic can only be muted with the touch of a button which you also hold to change mic monitoring. This means it doesn’t have the cool boom flip-up mic of more expensive headsets but it’s still entirely functional.

You’re not necessarily going to get the best vocal quality but it’s plenty for chat. Don’t expect to record any high-quality voice-over or podcasts. Do expect to yell at your friends mid-game and have them understand you.

Whisper Clear

Sounds are surprisingly crisp and clean, especially in the upper registers. They do lack the punchy bass of a more expensive headset but this was far more noticeable to me when listening to music than it was during a game.

They also provide fairly accurate sound mapping which helps you feel more immersed in the game’s environments. I decided to test these out while playing Remedy’s newest game Control. There’s a lot of creepy whispering and directional sound and I was always able to pinpoint where things were coming from. I also turned on radios in the game and walked around them. I did this to listen to the sounds fading in and out from different directions as I moved and turned the camera and it all worked as expected.

Another slight downside is the lack of a headphone jack which is always a pet peeve of mine. I like having the option to plug headphones into anything and have them work, even just as basic headphones. Not including this might not bother most people but to me, it’s one less option I have if I want it.

Forever ever

What I keep coming back to is the weight and comfort which have really blown me away. Everything else about the unit is about what you’d expect for this device. If you want a decent headset at a mid-range price you won’t be disappointed with the quality that the RIG 700 offers.

For those who want long play sessions without the risk of fatigue or even pain then these are a really good option. I felt like I could potentially wear them forever and they do work while charging via micro USB so, in theory, you totally could.

It’s really nice to have something lightweight, that doesn’t lock you out from the real world but still keeps you immersed in a game. Something you know you can reliably chat to people using while playing multiplayer games and not have the additional frustration of something heavy pushing down on your skull.

Clocking in at $200 the RIG 700 is a decent midrange wireless headset in its own right. It elevates above others in this range because it becomes more impressive the longer you use it, simply because you can use it for so long. As I said, I’m yet to tire of wearing it and that’s actually incredible to me in a wireless headset. The battery does fairly well, and worst case you plug it in and keep going. There’s absolutely a niche for this product and it’s people like me, who want something they could wear forever while still giving decent quality sound and chat.

The RIG 700 Wireless Headset was reviewed using a pair provided to PowerUp! by Poly.