A gaming headset for the Golden Ears
For almost 30 years, A4Tech has researched and developed cutting-edge technologies for keyboards, mice, and headsets in the consumer market. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, A4Tech is a global leader in computer peripherals with an exceptional R&D team and independent core techniques that deliver new ideas of innovation and technology.
A4Tech continues to bring their expertise in research and development to their new gaming division, Bloody Gaming. They draw inspiration for their product designs through feedback from gamers around the globe to create the ultimate gaming experience for the competitive professional to the casual gamers.
So what does their new headset bring to the expanding gaming market? For the last couple of weeks, I’ve had my hands on the new Bloody M660 Chronometer Gaming Headset and the sound quality and comfort are superb to say the least.
Breaking the mold
Nowadays, most gaming headsets are futuristic and sleek like in Tron: Legacy, but Bloody’s M660 sports a more steampunk look that grabs your attention with its bold orange LEDs and gold accents. The headset also comes in a black finish with red LED lights and silver accents. The gold accents that make up the backdrop of the ear can design are a wire mesh, while the same accent on the black headset is black plastic. Personally, I’m not a steampunk fan but I do appreciate the headset’s unique look.
The headset does have some bulk to accommodate the round over-the-ear 40mm drivers which makes you wonder – can I wear these all day? The answer is yes! The padded auto-adjusting headband extends over your dome without hesitation and the XXL protein leather ear cushions are soft right out of the box. The headset was built to reduce the headache effects of wearing a headset for those all-night gaming sessions, and I found them to be very comfortable and light despite their bulk.
The mic itself is built-in and can be bent in almost any direction, but is not removable so I had to bend the mic up and out of the way while just listening to music. I don’t find this inconvenient, but it means I won’t be taking the M660’s outside of my computer room anytime soon.
On the back of the left ear can, you’ll find a single dial to control volume. Unfortunately, there isn’t a button to mute the mic or turn off the orange LEDs that light up the ear cups and mic.
Packaged with the M660’s are two additional flatline cables to use the mic and the other to power the LEDs through USB. The semi-modular design is thoughtful, but I found that attaching the USB LED power adapter cable and the PC audio/mic cable made my desk cluttered with cables. A better design would be a USB dongle to attach the PC audio/mic adapter so from one computer connection the LEDs and audio/mic are powered through a single USB connection. The PC audio/mic adapter cable adds another 100cm of cable so you’ll be able to connect to the back of your computer’s on-board audio or dedicated audio card with ease.
Here comes the boom
The M660 delivers in great sound quality that matches or exceeds other gaming headsets in the $150 price range. The headset doesn’t come with any equalizing software which I feel was a missed opportunity for A4Tech. I found that the sound quality is bright and clear as is, but if you want the drivers to really shine, download a 3rd party equalizing software to make the lows and highs pop.
Without any equalizing options, the M660’s M.O.C.I driver technology and super-soft XXL ear cushions help isolate the sound to your audio receptacles. Although, I found at high volumes that there’s some sound leakage. This isn’t a problem in the serenity of your gaming laboratory, but you won’t be a great neighbor on a plane or library (if you do bring them out).
The M660’s microphone’s frequency response is good, but the mic will pick up background noises like the two co-workers chatting next to you or when someone creaks your door open. Since there isn’t any option to mute the microphone through the headset, this could be annoying to your friends with the mic picking up a lot of the background noise, so I’d recommend using push-to-talk in the voice communication program.
The Verdict
The Bloody M660 Chronometer headset provides superb sound quality out of the box at $150 MSRP. The build and sound quality are solid throughout the headset, boasting great mids and highs when listening to instrumental rock to upbeat dance music. I found that the lows didn’t produce as much thumping bass in synthesized rap music, but that can be fixed with 3rd-party equalizing software.
There are headsets that tout more features and higher sound quality, but they’ll also be in the $250 market or higher. At $150, the Bloody M660 Chronometer Gaming Headset provides clear sound that’s hardly matched at the price point.
One of my biggest problems with gaming headsets is the fit, especially when wearing glasses. Often times I get headaches from possibly losing circulation from gaming headsets without enough give for my large noggin, but I found the M660 to be very comfortable.
If you’re in the market for comfort, high quality sound, and a unique steampunk design in a gaming headset, look no further than the M660.
Buy Bloody M660 Chronometer headset- $74.99
Features
- Lightweight auto-adjusting headband for maximum comfort.
- Super-soft custom XXL protein leather ear cushions
- Volume control on the left side of headset.
- Built-in omnidirectional noise-cancelling microphone
- Durable flatline 48-core copper cables reduce interference and tangles
- USB adapter cable to power the orange LED lights in headset
- Split-end PC adapter cable to connect microphone and extend cable length
Technical Specs
| Speaker Driver: | Φ40 mm |
| Impedance: | 16 ± 20% Ω |
| Sensitivity: | 102 dB ± 3 dB |
| Frequency Response: | 20 Hz – 20 KHz |
| Mic Sensitivity: | – 45 dB |
| Mic Frequency Response: | 75-16,000 Hz |
| Weight: | 384 g |
| Cable Material: | 48-Core Copper Cable |
| Main Cable Plug Type: | 3.5 mm Plug (Audio/Mic) |
| Main Cable Length: | 120 cm |
| 3.5 mm PC Adapter Cable Length: | 100 cm |
| LED USB Cable Length: | 100 cm |
Featured in this article
Bloody M660 Chronometer Gold/Orange headset– $74.99
Bloody M660 Chronometer Black/Red headset– $74.99
