But can the Afterglow deliver a sonic experience that rises above the fray, even at such an affordable price? We sat down with the headset for some serious gaming to find out. Loaded with features and accessibly priced at $89.95, the Afterglow headset presents an attractive choice. Under its Afterglow brand, it sells a variety of illuminated, see-through console controllers for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii console systems, a line of phosphorescent gaming headphones, and now the gleaming blue Afterglow Universal Wireless headset. That includes cases for smartphones and e-readers, and a variety of other products under the umbrella of huge brands like Disney and Energizer, among others. Performance Design Products is one of those tech companies that makes cool stuff for your cool stuff. These were more comfortable and produced equal (in some cases even better) audio then other, more expensive headsets I have owned in the past. However, there is nothing budget about this. My personal recommendation is immersive.īy their own statement, PDP informed me that this would be considered their ‘budget’ headset. The color of the microphone represents which mode you are using (see image). You can choose between pure audio, immersive audio, or base booster audio. The headset has three separate modes which are toggled using a mode button just above the microphone. Whether playing Xbox, listening to music, or chatting online, this headset delivers quality sound. No one ever complained about my chat quality using other headsets I have often received complaints! If you have a 100 to spend, this is a headset you should consider picking up. Chatting with friends was also clean, with no static or audio feedback. I played a significant amount of Far Cry 4, Halo, and Sunset Overdrive, and the headset gave me pure, consistent audio. I never heard any audio distortion, and the noise canceling microphone seemed to do exactly as it advertised.
If you don’t like flashy, you won’t like this particular headset, or the brand for that matter!ĭespite being two years old, the Afterglow Universal Wireless Headset rivals that of most on the market, and comes in price wise (impressively) under 100.00! The 50mm drivers do the work and do it well. On the underside of the cup is the charging port, line in auxiliary jack, and the special Xbox port, as well as dials to adjust the sound and the chat versus game audio. A large mute button can be found on the center of the outside of the cup. If you are using the headset purely for audio, and not for chat, not having that mic swinging near your face is a definite bonus! All of the controls for the headset are on the left side of the headset. One of the better features of all of PDP’s headsets are the retractable microphones. This could prove annoying for some people, especially if they feel it’s there at the expensive of battery life! The top, plastic band glows blue when being used, as do the outsides of the cups. The first band sits tightly on your head because of its elastic form – more slack on this band would have been preferred – while the second band is made of bendable plastic, used to keep the headsets form. The cups are large and comfortable, sitting perfectly over your ears and adding tons of padding. Other, however, may be turned off by a number of the design choices made with this product. Personally, I love it and have no issues. It will be because of the design of the product. If PDP is going to lose a sale it won’t be because of the audio. Tested Battery Life: 10 Hours (I would argue that’s a conservative estimate!) They will also work on mobile devices, Vita, and 3DS.
Here are the quick facts from the box:Ĭompatability: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, PC I got these working on my Xbox One using the Microsoft Wireless Adapter.
Even at full price, however, you will not be dissapointed. The current price on these is still 89.99, although if you are patient you can probably find a good deal like I did on Groupon. This specific set was released in 2012 at a suggested retail price of 89.99 USD. The Universal Headset was one of PDP’s first attempts at a gaming headset. Not only did I want a new gaming headset, but I also liked what I had already seen from PDP.Īfterglow Universal Wireless Headset – Quick Facts I recieved an email from Groupon letting me know that PDP’s Afterglow Universal Wireless Headsets were on sale for 39.99, and I bit. In the Fight Pad review, I stated how much I hated third party accessories those Fight Pads – while they had their few minor issues – were outstanding to use. When we were reviewing Super Smash Bros for Wii U, PDP Gaming sent us two of their Fight Pads to use while we reviewed the game. Author: Adam Roffel Category: Headphone Reviews, News, Date: 1st December, 2014