The last Snakebyte Head:Set Pro I reviewed enjoyed great audio, but was accompanied by a truly baffling design full of silly lights and childish bulk. Their latest effort reins that in and then some, sporting a far more tasteful, muted design, with a cheaper price point to boot.
With headsets, it tends to be the case that you get what you pay for, though. Is the Snakebyte Head:Set X Pro worth the savings? Maybe, but only if you plan to never use the microphone for gaming.
$30Bottom line: Snakebyte's latest Head:Set X Pro headset has an improved design and surprisingly great audio, but the plastics and materials feel like they won't last.
For
- Included swappable speaker cushions
- Surprisingly great sound
- Improved visual design
- Low price
Against
- The microphone picks up audio from the speakers
- Materials and construction are low-grade
- EU-only availability
What you'll like about the Snakebyte Head:Set X Pro
The best thing about the Head:Set X Pro, like other Snakebyte headsets I've reviewed, is the audio quality. The drivers enjoy surprisingly good balance, making them solid for both music and gaming, with good separation and a broad soundscape.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Speakers | 50mm |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm wired |
| Features | In-line volume and mute |
| Price | £30 |
Music and media sounds punchy and atmospheric, making them great for immersive games with good environmental treatment like Battlefield and The Witcher series. The bass lends itself well to howling winds and booming explosions, and the highs are crisp and defined enough to help you pick out your enemies in crowded arenas. I ultimately have no complaints with the sound, you could do far worse, especially for £30.
On top of that, the headset is very comfortable too and comes with both leatherette-style cups and fabric, for your preference. It also comes with a handy self-adhesive hook for hanging your headset on the desk or drawer. The braided cable is good too, with generous length and in-line controls for mic mute and volume. The Head:Set X Pro also sports an improved visual design over its predecessor, shedding its toy-like appearance for something a little more mature.
The Head:Set X Pro nails a lot of the fundamentals, but it does fail at the finish line in a few ways.
What you'll dislike about the Snakebyte Head:Set X Pro
Perhaps my biggest complaint about this headset is the microphone. The microphone itself has decent quality for a chat headset, and has a nice flip design that lets you tuck it away neatly when not in use. The problem? The headset is leaky enough that the microphone picks up basically everything delivered by the speakers, even on modest volumes, which is obviously not ideal for gaming. The last thing you want to do is send echoes to your teammates in the middle of a match, making this headset difficult to recommend for any form of multiplayer comms.
The materials Snakebyte have used also don't exactly inspire confidence. They feel brittle and flimsy, with hinges that don't seem like they'll withstand any form of mild punishment. As a result, this is not a headset I'd recommend for youngsters, which is unfortunate since it would otherwise be a decent budget pick for a younger relative.
Should you buy the Snakebyte Head:Set X Pro?
Given that the Snakebyte line is only available in the EU limits its availability somewhat anyway, but if you're based in the EU like me, picking up a headset for just £30 might seem like an attractive proposition. Unfortunately, these are simply tough to recommend due to the issues with the microphone.
I long for the day that headset manufacturers test their products thoroughly to determine whether their on-board microphones will create echoes. Today is not that day, sadly. But if you want a headset purely for audio, you could do far worse than these.
Great audio meets broken mic.
It's another miss for Snakebyte's headset line, with something as fundamental as mic echo failing the Head:Set X Pro, but it's a step in the right direction.
