Etymotic E.D.G.E. GX400 gaming headphones review

Serious about gaming sound

6 August 2008 16:00 GMT / By Stephen Patrick

Getting the right sound balance when playing games can often make the difference between a good or great gaming experience, which is why choosing the right headphones is important.

E.D.G.E. stands for Enhanced Definition Gaming Earphones, which is a division of Etymotic Research specialising in gaming components. The design is stylish and finished in black and you’ll find a small microphone dongle is attached to the left-hand ear-piece. Each side leads into an inline volume controller, which also houses the On/Off switch for the microphone.

While typical gaming headphones tend to be large, over-the-ear cans, these are compact in-ear headphones that come with a range of different sized buds. Etymotic use a flanged design, so they better filter out the noise but you'll also find there are also memory-foam buds in the box, which we found far more comfortable to wear for longer periods as they tend to be less sweaty in the ears.

Being in-ear headphones, most of the external noise is excluded, so you really feel as though you have emersed yourself in the game. However, this does mean you find yourself shouting when using the mic, as it also cuts down on hearing yourself speak.

Due to the small size of the actual speaker controllers, the headphones tend not focus on the overall sound, which reduces their appeal when listening to music, in favour of picking out individual details, such as gun shots and footsteps, which pro-gamers will appreciate.

Verdict

The Etymotic E.D.G.E. GX400 are high-performance in-ear headphones for serious gamers and come at a serious price. There is no denying the quality on offer but can you really justify it with your quality of gameplay?

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Review Recap

Made by: Etymotic Research
Price as reviewed: £100
The good: Detailed drivers for gaming, great quality
The bad: Difficult to hear yourself speak, pricey
Quick verdict: You’ll need to be serious about gaming to justify the price but these are amazing quality headphones for the money
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