You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/epos-h3-hybrid-gaming-headset.1919/

When I took a look at EPOS’ wired H3 headset earlier this year, I praised it as one of the most comfortable headsets I’d used to date. Thanks to its oval earcups and incredibly lightweight design, it proudly sat atop my head for hours at a time with no strain or pain. I still think the H3 is a fantastic and worthwhile choice if you’re looking for a wired headset, but what if you want something more? It’s time to look at the hybrid option.

At a glance it really doesn’t look like much has changed. Outside of the fact this review unit is black, while my original H3 review unit was white (both models are available in both colours), everything looks quite similar. You have the same oval earcups, the same bulky microphone, and the same overall aesthetic. There are some changes though. The headband feels far more premium, featuring some sort of mesh-like fabric on the outside. The inside of the headband still has that same comfortable padding that moulds to even the most dome-like of heads too, providing what is still one of the nicest headphone experiences I’ve come across when worn for an extended period.

Across the casing of the earcups, you may notice there are a few additional ports and buttons. Where the original H3 was very much plug and play, the Hybrid gives you a range of options worthy of its moniker, these largely housed on the left earcup. You have a USB C port, the same assumedly proprietary jack that gives you a 3.5mm plug on the other end, and a power button. The main drawback of the headset to me comes from the power button and the necessity for the device to always be turned on to be used, even if you’re indulging in a wired connection. This isn’t so much a problem if connecting to a PC using the USB C port, since the headset will be charging at the same time. With a 3.5mm jack though, it just feels odd. There’s some solace to be found here in the 24 hour battery life advertised. As long as you remember to charge the headset every so often, you’re unlikely to run into issues.

As mentioned, you have two wired options when wanting to use the H3 Hybrid in a 3.5mm and USB C connection. On top of these, you’re also able to use Bluetooth to wirelessly pair to your device of choice. It all sounds quite standard on paper, but the Hybrid headset takes my favourite feature from my time using the LucidSound LS50X: the ability to connect to multiple devices simultaneously. It’s marvellous, even if it isn’t implemented quite as seamlessly as in the LS50X. Unlike the LS50X, one of the devices has to be wired, and the other has to be Bluetooth. On top of this, the more limited controls makes it a little more difficult to balance the audio of both devices when compared to the earcup dials of the LS50X. Having said that though, it’s a great feature for any wireless headset, and something that would be essential to me if I didn’t already own a mixer.

The out of box sound quality itself doesn’t seem to have changed all that much from the original H3 headset to my untrained ear, and that’s not a terrible thing. As previously said, it sounds fine, and ticks my box of game audio just sounding as I expect it to. No enhancements, no fancy AI manipulating it, just normal. If you are somebody interested in tweaking though, EPOS has their own Gaming Suite software with plenty to play with. Outside of the EQ, you also have a number of settings for the microphone, including a side tone slider. While I’m really not a fan of side tone, this is a headset I can at least acknowledge a use of it thanks to just how well the earcups isolate you from external sound. As with the H3, there’s no active noise cancelling, but I definitely wouldn’t hear somebody knocking on the front door if I were wearing these.

One final change from the original H3 headset is in the Hybrid’s detachable microphone and dual-microphone setup. Now the microphone in itself looks and feels just as it did before. A point I didn’t note in my original review is the interesting build of it, featuring a rigid base and end, with the central part being adjustable. It’s a really great design that allows you to get the microphone how you like it without making it a challenge to twist back up when you’re done. What makes the detachable nature of the microphone such a game changer for me is in the value it adds to the package in terms of versatility. While the headset still remains somewhat bulky, without the microphone attached I’d consider it at least viable to take with you on the go, and because of the microphone lurking within the earcup you’d still be able to take calls should the need arise.

All in all the H3 Hybrid is a fantastic upgrade from the original H3 model, but these upgrades do come at a cost. Jumping up from £89 to £149, you move into a far more competitive market of premium devices. Can the H3 Hybrid hold its own among this crowd? To an extent I believe so, and I largely think it’s propped up by its ability to connect to multiple devices at one time. They sound great and feel great, and if you’re looking for a more versatile way to enjoy what made the H3 so great, the extra £60 is more than worth it. If wireless connectivity and additional versatility isn’t so much of a requirement for you though, the original H3 is still available and still something I’d recommend.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/redmagic-6s-pro.1911/

I’m quite fond of RedMagic as a brand. Having bought and covered the 5S last year for its emulation capabilities, I’m fortunate enough to have been sent the RedMagic 6S Pro prior to its launch to explore what’s new, and whether this one’s worth a look. Having used the phone for almost a month now I’m excited to show it off for its gaming goodness in what I hope to be a more in-depth review.

First Impressions

Unboxing a RedMagic phone is always a joy. Where other brands strive for minimalist perfection with clean and simple designs, likely to draw focus to the phone itself, RedMagic instead decides to throw paint against the wall. Featuring unusual and eye-catching designs, they have a genuine appeal to them and are one of the things I look forward to each time I see a new release from them. It’s over the top, it’s unnecessary, but it’s something I’ve come to know and appreciate them for. While this design is a little more muted than the 5S box I have handy, it still stays true to my expectations.

Lurking within are your standard assortment of the phone itself, a case, a USB C to USB C cable, and perhaps increasingly-rarely, a 30W wall plug. Unfortunately I’ve not been able to use the plug since the model I received came with a US one, but I’ve had no issues in continuing to use the 18W plug that came with the 5S. The feel of the phone in my hand is almost identical to the 5S in weight and size, which surprised me given that the screen is actually bigger. The included case also has an exposed back much unlike the case of the 5S, which does go some way in solving the lack of synergy between the accessories of the product I previously criticised the phone for. With a new “dual-core” Ice Dock available, I’d be hopeful that it can just sit on top of the case.

Hardware & Design

Looking at the design of the phone, it shares a fair bit with its predecessors, the RedMagic 6 and 6 Pro. Coming from the 5S myself, there are a few changes to get used to. The most notable of these for me is the bizarre placement of the volume rocker on the left side of the device. It’s not something I’ve personally seen before and despite being a minor decision, really does confuse me when the phone is on my desk. Thanks to the almost-symmetrical design it’s really difficult to tell which way it’s facing when sat in sleep mode. You’ll also notice the buttons a little lower down than your average phone, this to make room for the signature feature: a physical fan. Sitting where you’d usually find a power button on other devices, it pulls air in from the right side and spits it out on the left. It still seems like a bit of a gimmick, but if it even keeps the phone a degree cooler during intense sessions, it’s a success in my books.

The colour options of the 6S Pro are disappointingly standard. Where I could enjoy the completely outlandish red and blue with the 5S, you’re more limited to black here. I will give due credit and commend the more premium model for its transparent back and RGB fan though. I think transparent tech is a great trend that unfortunately fell out of fashion after the days of the N64 and GBA had passed. Being able to see some of the internals is great fun, and adding a centrepiece to it in the form of an RGB fan brings it all together wonderfully from the renders I’ve seen.

As you might expect from a new gaming phone, what lies under the hood is some of the best portable technology available to the mobile market. The 6S Pro is stacked. Featuring the latest and greatest Snapdragon 888+, it comes equipped to tackle the most challenging of Android titles and emulation challenges. Add to this the same 165Hz display of the RedMagic 6 series and two unnecessarily-responsive touchpad shoulder triggers and you have everything you need to enjoy powerful portable gaming. There is one particularly odd addition to the mix here in the form of a new mappable area on the back of the phone. Situated between the RedMagic writing and the Nubia logo, there’s a small strip you can activate by sliding it. While I didn’t find a way to comfortably use it, there could be some utility here for people with smaller hands who perhaps would struggle to grip the phone in a way as to be able to reach both of the shoulder triggers. It could also be useful for those more familiar with claw grips than myself.

Red Magic OS & Game Space

Red Magic OS, the phone’s Android skin, hasn’t changed much since I last visited it. And that’s not necessarily the best thing. At its core, the experience is typical Android. You have a decent assortment of customisation options and anybody familiar with the operating system will feel at home. For those coming from iOS, you can also use a layout more closely resembling Apple’s with all your apps on the home screen; pretty standard stuff.

There are however some bugs, and these bugs have been around for many iterations of the RedMagic line. Having used the 5S as my daily driver for a decent amount of time, there were some I noticed straight away. One of the more irritating things for me was the appearance of a blank page on my home screen that could not be removed. After some trial and error, I found this bug was caused by you disabling the setting to automatically place new app icons on the home screen. Enabling that and deleting the icons manually, the extra screen plagues you no longer. There’s also a quirk with certain notifications not being dismissible, these seemingly limited to music streaming apps. The only one I’ve noticed it with was YouTube Music, though I’ve seen reports of it affecting Spotify too. These notifications are hidden away and only accessible once the notification menu is fully expanded though, so it’s not so much of an issue to me.

I did recently discover something that does improve the overall user experience though, and that’s the ability to swap out your launcher. Now, you’re probably thinking this was an obvious first choice if Nubia’s standard launcher is disappointing, but until recently I didn’t think it was actually possible. If you just download a launcher and try to set it as the default one using the usual prompt, it doesn’t work at all, taking you back to the standard launcher when you press the home button. To get around this you need to navigate to the following:

Settings > Applications > App info > “…” in top-right corner > Default app settings > Desktop

Through this totally intuitive assortment of options, I was able to set Nova as my launcher, giving me a good bit more in the way of customisation and ironing out a few of the rough patches. It should be noted that changing the launcher doesn’t have an effect on your notifications though, so you’ll be stuck with the streaming apps showing up there.

One very notable improvement for me comes from the changes to Game Space and perhaps more importantly, the fact you don’t have to use it at all to reap its benefits. On paper I like Game Space. Having an enclosed space to give you easy access to your games with extra tweaks and settings is exactly the kind of thing that should set a gaming phone apart from a more generalist device. The end product ends up being something else though. It’s just too rough around the edges to be something I’d want to use regularly thanks to its unpolished UI and almost entirely-untranslated menus. I will cut a little slack here, this is a pre-release unit, and I’m hopeful there will be an update before the phone launches to at least provide some kind of basic translation. Having said that, I can all but guarantee it won’t be great. There’s occasionally some charm to be found in dismissing a low battery notification by saying “I know”, but really it’s just an unnecessary mark of low quality Nubia could avoid by getting a decent translation team in.

As mentioned though, you can avoid Game Space altogether once you’ve been in it to mark your appropriate apps as games. As long as you’ve done this, the apps will boot as if you’re in Game Space either way, giving you access to the useful control panel of macros, framerate display, and mappable device buttons. Though even this limited part of Game Space suffers from the same poor translation, a lot of it is genuinely useful regardless. Giving Call of Duty Mobile a go for the first time, I’m left questioning how you’re supposed to comfortably play without some kind of shoulder triggers to aim and shoot.

What would really make the 6S Pro thrive as a gaming phone to me would be the inclusion of a dedicated desktop mode for when using the device with a monitor. Though you can plug it into any display and have the screen be mirrored without issue, fitting a 20:9 image on a 16:9 monitor just doesn’t cut it for me, and results in huge borders should you want to watch or play 16:9 content. I did have a play with the experimental desktop mode you can find in the Android developer settings, and I have to say as a prospect it’s a promising one. With companies like Samsung and Huawei including a polished version of this as standard with their range of phones, it’s a huge shame to see Nubia not go the extra mile here given the work creating Game Space must have been. While I do think the 6S Pro does enough to be a great phone, the versatility of a real desktop mode would have made it something more, and I really want more companies to explore this. Modern phones have so much power, why not use it to the fullest?

Benchmarking Results

For benchmarking, I’ve included test results from Geekbench 5 and AnTuTu below. As somebody who isn’t incredibly technically-minded, I don’t have much commentary to add here outside of saying the Snapdragon 888+ is probably the best mobile CPU on the market at the moment, and the scores do reflect that when stacking them up against more mainstream flagship devices. Though the 888+ is the best out there, it should however be noted it is an incredibly minor upgrade from the standard 888, so if you have one of those, the marginal performance boost will likely not be worth putting the money down for a new phone.

For the Geekbench 5 results, you’re looking at a single-core score of 1146 and a multi-core score of 3704. Running the compute benchmark, you get a score of 4698 using OpenCL, and 4061 using Vulkan.

For the AnTuTu results, the overall score sits at 863789, reportedly defeating 99% of users. To break that down, the CPU score is 223353, the GPU score is 327140, the memory score is 141296, and the UX score is 172000.

Gaming Overview

It might surprise you to see just how short the gaming section is on a gaming phone review, and that’s because there really isn’t much to talk about. As mobile devices go the 6S Pro is really the cream of the crop, and hasn’t struggled with any Android titles I’ve thrown at it yet. Genshin Impact maintains a steady 60 frames per second at the absolute maximum of settings, which leads me to lament the lack of controller support for the Android version. I’d be interested to see just how far this phone could push the game if it ever allows for an unlocked framerate.

It should go without saying that apps like Dead Cells, Disgaea 1 Complete, Forager, and Stardew Valley also run like a dream. The reason I list these ones specifically is because they all support controllers, and I’ve been having a great time playing them with my Razer Kishi plugged in. Despite the hefty 6.8 inch 20:9 display, the Kishi will just manage to wrap around the device, giving you a good grip to enjoy a good range of games. I’ve also spent a good bit of time with the likes of Geforce Now and Game Pass on the go using this setup.

Emulation performance is naturally fantastic too. Much like the 5S I looked at previously, the 6S Pro has handled everything I’ve thrown at it exceptionally, with it able to play Wii games at 1.5x and 2x resolution. The one game I’ve come across that this phone does struggle with is F-Zero on the GameCube. Regardless of which version of Dolphin I’ve tried (MMJR2 being my version of choice), I see significant drops at almost every part of the game. I am happy to see Fortune Street run at full speed now though, as the only game I tried on the 5S that wouldn’t run well for reasons far beyond my comprehension.

Camera Performance

Of all the areas I wasn’t expecting to be impressed by, the cameras were at the top of the list. When I originally covered the 5S last year, I somewhat glossed over this part of the phone, writing it off as a subpar non-focus for a gaming-centric device. To some extent, the same remains true in the 6S Pro. When comparing to a modern flagship or even a midrange more generalist device, you may be left wanting. There’s little in the way of fancy additions. You have no crazy zoom, no telephoto lens, and no weird AI features being talked about. What it does have is a three camera array, featuring a 64MP Samsung sensor at the top, an 8MP ultrawide sensor in the middle, and a 2MP macro sensor at the bottom. I’d likely be doing the sensors a disservice to attempting to talk about them in-depth, so instead I’ll cut right to the chase and get into how they perform.

Having just returned from a trip to Northern Ireland to see family, I had a great chance to try the camera out to its fullest with a nice assortment of buildings and beaches at various times of day. Frankly I’m really impressed. You can browse the pictures below.

The camera app itself is fairly intuitive for any Android users, but there are a few caveats of note. First of all, there’s the watermark. I decided to leave it on for the sake of this review, but it’s something there by default that could be easy to miss if you just pick up the phone for the first time and find yourself needing to snap a quick picture. I’ve not seen other phone brands stamp images this way so it’s odd, even if it is easy to disable. Secondly, the phone’s 64MP camera mode is hidden away in the “Phone ratio” choices of the camera app settings. This one is something I almost missed, just assuming the phone was giving me its best as I was happily taking pictures on the beach. Much like the comments on the Xiaomi 11T’s camera though, I can completely understand why this isn’t an option as standard. As well as producing huge images of between 15 and 35mb, there’s also a noticeable delay when taking a picture of around half a second. It didn’t get in the way of my picture taking, but I can see it being an irritation if I were stuck with it all the time. Whenever you close the app, the phone resets the camera mode to the non-64MP mode, which is handy given the delay. It would have been nice for this to be an option however. Much like the OS, the camera app is also littered with odd translations and limited explanation. There’s a special setting for “Intelligent Beauty” and I really couldn’t tell you what it does.

Day to Day Usage

As a daily driver, the 6S Pro has done me well for the past month or so. With a fantastic 5050mAh battery you’re able to get around two days of light usage out of a single charge, with around one day of what I would call regular usage. Using the included 30W plug, you’re able to get right back to 100% in just 65 minutes though, so to many who live their lives around plug sockets, battery life is becoming less and less of a common issue.

There is more to using a phone than how long the screen can stay on though, and I’ve touched on my major gripes in other areas of this review. Thanks to being able to use Nova launcher, I’ve had a certain degree of freedom to get the phone exactly how I like it. I can swap out the gamer-aesthetic stock application icons, I can hide apps I can’t uninstall, and I can avoid a few frustrating bugs. With the 5S, I did come across a bug where phone calls would show as withheld even if registered in the phone’s contacts. That does seem to be resolved here from the calls I have taken, so at least one thing has been fixed since then. What would put me off recommending this more than anything at the moment though is the state of the software translation. It just doesn’t feel complete, and I really hope that is because it isn’t complete yet. I reached out to the PR team for some kind of confirmation of a pre-launch update, but they’re yet to get back to me with anything solid. Nothing the phone does is particularly prohibitive to using it as a daily driver from my experience, but there are a lot of small frustrations that seem like they could have been avoided. And these do add up to an extent. A huge boon in the phone’s favour though is the stunning display and just how smooth 165Hz is in action though. If you’re coming from a 144Hz or even a 120Hz phone the difference might not be much, but for those used to the standard 60Hz it’s night and day.

Closing Thoughts

All things considered, the 6S Pro is a mixed bag for me. It is undoubtedly a phenomenal device with some of the best specs on the market, that much I can’t take away from it. What keeps me from telling you to run out and buy one now however is the current state of the software. I’m almost certain it will get better, but to what extent is what’s so difficult to predict. If you’re just wanting a powerful and portable device at a relatively affordable price (£519 for the model being reviewed), I will say you can’t go wrong for the money.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/asus-zenscreen-mb16ac-portable-monitor.1902/

I have too many monitors. I’m not going to beat around the bush on that one. I have monitors on my desk, monitors on the floor, monitors on arms, and even a monitor somehow attached to a flimsy folding table. Monitors are at the heart of my day to day life after all. I work from home on them, I watch videos on them, I play games on them. I’m sure you get the idea. But what about when I want to be productive elsewhere? How can it be feasible to throw a second screen in a bag? Given the banner image above, the answer is clear: a portable monitor.

When it comes to productivity on the go, there really is nothing sweeter than being able to pull a second screen out and get stuck in. In my mind, the apex of this idea is something we already reviewed in the SideTrak. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to what I hoped in both portability and general display quality. To this day, I’m baffled how my eInk tablet can have a better response time than a monitor, but that is the reality. Until sliding mounted monitors can become lighter and frankly just better screens, they will remain a dream for me. What comes next though? If the convenience of having a second screen attached to your laptop just isn’t feasible, what’s the next best thing?

ASUS seem to think they have the case cracked with their impressive range of lightweight and thin screens. The version I have to review today is the ZenScreen MB16AC. It’s a 15.6 inch display coming in at 780g and less than a centimetre in thickness. With it advertised as a portable monitor, I hadn’t quite come to terms with just how big 15.6 inches actually is. Taking it out of the box for the first time it struck me, and I’m a little conflicted. When you have it out on a desk, that additional screen space is undeniably appreciated, but to me this size is just one notch too large to be truly portable. The big use case however is for those already carrying laptops with these large displays. In that scenario, it’s just a case of slotting it in the bag, and thanks to its weight and thickness, I doubt there will be any issues. For those like me, there is some solace in the fact there’s another model available in the MB14AC, which is the 14 inch sibling to what I have to look at with, to my knowledge, an identical feature set.

Alongside the screen, ASUS include a folio case and a USB C cable to enable you to get started straight away. It’s worth noting that with this being a rental review the USB C cable was missing, so I can’t comment on the specifics of that. The folio case however is a bit of a mixed bag. Don’t get me wrong, it’s functional. When you don’t need a stand it protects the screen admirably, and when you need something to prop it up, it offers a number of different positions to best suit your need. It’s even capable of supporting the monitor on its side, which is genuinely great. Have I used it at all with my time with the monitor? I have not. It’s just too finicky. It gets the job done, but boy do you have to fight for it. When I was trying to get things working for the first time, it took me several minutes to just find how it attaches to the device; it does so with magnets if you were curious. I’ve had the monitor propped up against my PSVR box (the most use I’ve had out of my PSVR in months honestly) since I first plugged it in and have had no issues. For my needs, a Surface-like kickstand would have been better suited, but I do understand how this can detract from a larger sense of versatility. Such a stand would make vertical positionings difficult for example. The case is fine, and a necessity for any monitor wanting to call itself portable, but it’s just not quite there for me. Where it’ll shine is with people who have clear desks, who don’t prop their monitors up with the boxes of long-since defunct tech. To get the most out of it, you really just need to have the space to use it and play around, and that’s something I’m lacking.

While getting started with the ZenScreen isn’t quite plug and play, it isn’t far off. Using the single USB C port on the side of the monitor, you can connect it to your PC using either a USB A to USB C or a USB C to USB C cable. Of these bountiful options, I was particularly interested to see how it performed using the more abnormal USB A. For this functionality, you do need to install a driver from ASUS, but once that’s out of the way, it’ll be detected normally and can be adjusted like any other monitor via Windows’ display settings. As a PC companion it does a great job. With the monitor pulling power through the USB connection, it’s ridiculously hassle-free to use once you’ve jumped the initial driver hurdle. I wouldn’t say it’s flawless though; advertising 5ms response time, there is a noticeable difference when used together with my other 4ms monitors. Without the capacity to test response times accurately, I can best describe it as noticeable but not to a degree that impacts day to day use. I have no issues using this for writing reviews (this one in fact!), browsing the internet, or reading manga. The only time you’d really feel this is if you happened to be using the monitor for a game that relied heavily on you being at your quickest. Having said that, this isn’t a gaming monitor. For what it advertises itself as, it performs admirably. If you are wanting something snappier though, as you might have guessed, ASUS have you covered with another of their many models. The MB16AH sports a Micro HDMI port for compatibility beyond your PC, but if you’re really wanting to go all out on gaming, there’s a whole range of ROG Strix monitors, some of which going all the way to 240Hz gaming with a 3ms response time. It’s a baffling labyrinth to look through all of the variants of these monitors. Every time you find yourself wanting a feature, a quick search tends to reveal that ASUS already have a model to support it.

The overall picture quality really blew me away when I turned it on for the first time. The ZenScreen has some of the most vivid colours I’ve ever come across, and produces a delightfully sharp and clear image. The IPS display does a good job in mitigating glare too. While I can still spot outlines of the person peering in on darker images, it’s something I really have to look for. If my vision is focused on text, or any other element on the screen for that matter, it’s something I don’t notice at all. You also have a reasonable assortment of settings to toy with using a somewhat clunky two-button menu navigation system. I don’t know why there couldn’t have been a third button. A third button would give you an option for up, down, and confirm or back. As it is now though, you’re left with an awkward system of navigating a menu like a one-way street, with confirmation relying on you not touching anything for a few seconds. It works, but it’s definitely something that needs work should ASUS look at iterating on the ZenScreen.

Looking at the options themselves you have a fairly standard array of things to change. You have a number of pre-configured modes, a variable blue light filter, colour settings, image settings, and a few miscellaneous system tweaks that are bundled together. There’s a lot to play with but having had my play I’ve found most of the default settings to suit my needs best. The one setting I do recommend trying is the game mode. It just makes the colours pop in a way that makes the monitor incredibly pleasant to look at.

The big question is always the same though: is it worth the money? In some ways it is, and in others it isn’t. What you should be asking yourself before browsing what’s on the market is what you want out of your monitor. Looking just at ASUS’ ZenScreen range, you have monitors ranging from 14 inches to 15.6 inches, some with Micro HDMI ports, some with built-in batteries, some with touch screens. After my time with the MB16AC, I feel confident in saying it’s a quality display at its current price point of around £200.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/roccat-torch-usb-microphone.1898/

If you’ve been keeping up to date with my reviews, you’ll likely remember the Roccat headset I recently had a look at. For those, who might have skipped over this one, I can summarise it nicely. It’s a great headset, but quite unlike my usual self, I had lost the detachable microphone within a week. While much of the reason comes down to my own idle idiocy, a significant portion of the blame has to be attributed to the fact I was just using something better to record my dulcet tones. That something is Roccat’s new Torch microphone.

Lurking within the box is the microphone itself, a base to mount it on, and a small assortment of cables. Assembly is about as simple as it gets; pop the mic into the base, connect to the base using a cable, then connect the base to your PC using a separate cable. The cables themselves are relatively standard offerings for Roccat, with some fairly sturdy-feeling braiding on show. Mounted in the base, the microphone can be rotated freely, limited largely by the length of the cable connecting it. As well as this it can be leant back, though I’m not certain of the use case for this as somebody who traditionally talks into microphones in an upright position. Even when pushed fully back though, the base offers enough stability to keep the microphone from toppling over. It’s perhaps not the most stable in this position but it’ll withstand a few knocks without falling. On the back you also have a 3.5mm jack to plug in your earphones, which is certainly a nice addition if your PC happens to sit a little distance from you.

A base or stand with a microphone is a fairly standard inclusion. With my previous Blue Snowball coming with a fairly simple tripod, I was really interested to see mixer-style controls attached to the base of the Torch. In easy reach you have a slider to adjust gain on the fly, a rocker to adjust the output volume going to your earphones via the jack, and one final rocker to move between the different patterns available to the microphone. The whole package comes together to a standard I’ve come to expect of Roccat. No part of this feels cheap, no part unintentional. The mixer functionality on the base is genuinely useful and goes a long way in justifying a more premium price for what could be considered an entry level streaming microphone.

Looking at the mic patterns available, you have the option to switch between cardioid, stereo, and whisper modes. For the vast majority of people, cardioid will suit you perfectly well. It captures the voice directly in front of the microphone, and I’ve found it significantly better than my Snowball for capturing just what’s in front, in oppose to the greater world lurking around it. If the world is what you’re wanting people to listen to though, stereo mode has you covered. Utilising the left and right audio channels, you get what could be considered a fuller sound. While I don’t think this improves the quality of speaking into the microphone, there is some definite utility to be found if recording with multiple people, instruments, or if wanting to simulate your position relative to the microphone for some kind of ASMR content. Finally, and to me, most usefully, we have whisper mode. This follows the same general ideology as the cardioid setup, with the bonus of boosting the volume somewhat. I’ve found this incredibly useful for late-night streaming with the walls in my house being relatively thin.

Though at first glance a gamer gimmick, the lighting on the microphone serves a great purpose in showing you its current configuration at a glance. With both the Roccat logo and strips of lighting to the left and right of the microphone glowing, you have a constant view of what you’re doing even if you occupy a dark room where viewing the icons on the base is too difficult. Light blue is whisper mode, yellow is cardioid mode, and purple is stereo mode. As well as the colour, you can tell the current gain level by how much of the light strips are lit. If the whole thing is lit up, you’re as loud as you can be. Half of the light strip means you’re half as loud, I’m sure you get the idea. I love the versatility to fiddle with things quickly and easily, with the visual feedback giving further incentive to pick this over software options.

The final standout feature of the Torch is a simple one, but one I really do appreciate: the ability to mute it with a wave of my hand. Thanks to a nifty sensor at the top of the microphone, you have the power to silence yourself without having to fumble about or hit any noisy buttons. You can toggle the detection range of the sensor using a switch on the back of the base, with the ability to disable it entirely also available. I’ve found it work really well when streaming, but if you happen to have cables lying near the top of the microphone, you’ll likely want to disable the feature. It can be a little too trigger-happy if the area directly above it isn’t usually empty. You can also mute the microphone by pressing in the volume rocker if you don’t mind the momentary clicking sound.

When it comes to software-based customisation options there’s surprisingly little on offer. I don’t think it’s a particularly terrible thing. As with the Syn Pro Air, I’m relieved to see Roccat moving away from Swarm as their driver software of choice in place of the newer Neon. Unlike the Syn Pro Air however, there really is nothing to tweak for the Torch. And that isn’t an exaggeration. What exactly do you use Neon for? As the aptly titled software may suggest, for the AIMO lighting. My recommendation though? Don’t. AIMO lighting is something I praise every time I review a Roccat product. The idea of a unified and smart lighting system that just decides on its own when to flow, when to dance, it’s genuinely one of my favourite things about Roccat. With the Torch though, there’s just no room for it. All that changes is the Roccat logo on the front of the device, creating a messy and uncharacteristically ununified appearance, with the bars of light surrounding it still indicating your selected pattern and gain levels. It’s a nice option I’m sure some will appreciate, but I’m a little disappointed they didn’t do a little more with it. Lighting around the base would have been particularly interesting, keeping the microphone lighting for its purpose and allowing you to experience the joys of AIMO in an unobtrusive way. I do understand something like this would have increased costs however, and at £89.99, it’s already skirting what some may deem reasonable for an introductory microphone to streaming.

I’m not going to pretend to be particularly knowledgeable when it comes to the specification of microphones. I say this a lot with headsets I pick up, but frankly, I am an end user more than I am an expert. I want to be able to use a product and know it sounds right, that it sounds good and clear. After using the Torch for around a month now, that’s exactly what I feel. Setup is as simple as plug and play, and right out of the box it sounds great. You can see below for some stream highlights showing the microphone in different settings, namely the cardioid and whisper modes. For clarity, the video of losing to Brawly is using the cardioid setting, and the video of losing to May is the whisper setting.

With not being an expert, there’s no fancy tweaking happening here. Outside of the standard OBS noise suppression plugin to mask the sound of air conditioning, you have a vanilla experience on show. To me, the standard cardioid setting sounds best, but I was quite impressed to hear just how clear I sounded with whisper mode. For those wanting to tear apart the full specs, you can find them below:

• Sample/Bit Rate: 48kHz,
• 24-bit with optional selection for 44.1kHz
• Capsules: 2 × ROCCAT Proprietary ∅14 × 6.5mm condenser capsules
• Pickup Patterns: Cardioid, Stereo, Whisper (ROCCAT Proprietary)
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Max SPL: 110dB
• Zero-latency 3.5mm, 4-Pole headphone socket

All in all though, the Torch is a microphone I love. A distinct upgrade from my aged and beloved Snowball, it stands as a fantastic entry point to better sound quality for the budding streamer. £89.99 might be a price to put some off, especially when starting out, but I feel the features offered paired with the ease of use and sound quality go a long way in justifying it. It’s one to check out.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/roccat-syn-pro-air.1897/

I’ve reviewed my fair share of headphones while writing for GBAtemp. Ever in search of comfort and versatility, I’ve used sound-enhancing ones, ones that can connect to two things at once, bulky but undeniably comfy ones, and some really high end ones for the audiophiles in the room. Coming now for my first look at Roccat’s musical affairs, I try out the Syn Pro Air gaming headset to see if it can earn a coveted long-term spot atop my peanut-shaped dome.

When it comes to the Syn Pro Air’s design, it fits right in alongside the other Roccat peripherals I’ve recently reviewed. It’s sleek, it’s lightweight, and it has the same funky hexagonal lighting as the Kone Pro Air; maybe the term “Pro Air” is just Roccat’s way of branding honeycomb RGBs? Either way, it’s a headset that looks the part. Outside of the lighting you have some luscious memory foam padding lining both the headband and the inside of the ear cups. Pair this with the same oblong-shaped cups I adored in EPOS’ H3 headset and you have something that ticks all my boxes right out of the gate.

Much like the H3, they are brilliantly comfortable. I can’t express how much nicer an oblong-shaped cup is around the ear, and how well it blocks out external sounds for you to focus on whatever you’re trying to listen to. It’s the strangest kind of vacuum, albeit somewhat less airtight here thanks to Roccat’s more breathable material choice. I’ve worn this headset for hours at a time with absolutely no kinds of aches or strains, and I have no doubt I could wear them for hours more. Though still working from home, they unfortunately weren’t a fantastic fit for me to be wearing throughout my eight hour day, and it’s probably not for the reason you’re thinking. Turning up to a meeting with flashing RGB headphones might not seem the most professional to you, but it’s perhaps what many of my colleagues expect of me at this point. Where the Syn Pro Air fall short for me is actually in its connectivity options. While working, I have a wired set of headphones plugged into a mixer via a 3.5mm jack. This allows me to have my work audio for meetings and other workly affairs, as well as some quaint background music from another source to reach my ears in an unobtrusive way for others. It’s a setup I enjoy, but because the Syn Pro Air only supports connections via its USB dongle, there’s just no way to fit them into the equation. While my setup is quite unique, the problems of an exclusively USB headset are not. In terms of compatibility, it means you’re largely stuck with PC gaming, or consoles that support generic USB headsets. That limits you to the Switch, PS4, and PS5. 

When using the headset on PC though, the experience is really quite good. Much to my delight after many reviews of complaining about it, Roccat are moving on from the driver software of my nightmares, Swarm. In its place a new and modern program rises in the form of Roccat Neon. It’s not perfect; my biggest issue is that only a handful of devices are currently supported by it, so you’ll have to have both Neon and Swarm installed should you have older devices. Having said that, it’s incredibly easy to use and has a great assortment of settings to finetune your experience. I’ve played with a lot of the settings, the 3D audio standing out when playing games, but for general use, I’ve found the default configuration best. For those with a finer ear than mine, you can spend time tweaking the EQ exactly to your liking. Powered by the 50mm Nanoclear drivers from Turtle Beach, it feels like Roccat has leveraged the wealth of headphone experience from its parent company. Having not owned a Turtle Beach headset before, I now feel a little closer to truly understanding the praise the Recon 500 headset got when we covered it a few months back.

As an exclusively-wireless headset, battery life is an incredibly important factor. You want it to survive a long gaming session, or just a long day at your desk. In this regard, the Syn Pro Air meets expectations. Advertising a 24 hour battery life, it’s built to support the longest sessions, even if it isn’t required quite to the extent you’d think. A larger battery means not having to charge the headset as much, which is always a bonus. Having said that, this is also a headset you’ll exclusively be using at a desk due to its connectivity options, where charging them is hardly an issue. While I appreciate just how long modern headsets last, I wish this one in particular gave me more ways to utilise that lifespan. It’s also probably worth noting here that I did experience some issues with charging the device at first, with Neon reporting low battery levels even after a full day of charging. A few updates later, this seems to be fixed. If you are considering this headset, make sure to get everything up to date before going any further. 

Now a headset is more than just the headphones. Featuring a detachable microphone with such fancy features as being able to mute itself when moved to the upward position, the Syn Pro Air is fully kitted out for all your gaming needs. You can check out the video above for a recording of myself using the headset microphone while streaming Luck be a Landlord. In blunt terms, it sounds really clear for a headset microphone. Naturally, you’ll have the odd boom and the quality doesn’t quite stand up to standalone microphones, but for those starting out in streaming or just those wanting to talk to friends, it’ll more than do the job. There is an elephant in the room here though. You may notice I don’t have a single picture of the headset with the microphone attached. Why is this? Because I’ve already lost it. I really wish I were joking.

The Syn Pro Air is somewhat no frills when it comes to extras. Of note, there’s no case for it, and nowhere to store the microphone when not in use. Sure you can keep it on the headset itself, but then where do you put the rubber stopper that goes in the slot while you’re not using that? Of the two components, I figured the rubber stopper would be the smaller and therefore easier to lose part, and kept it safely stowed in the headset. Roll on a week or two and I have absolutely no idea where the microphone is. I can’t put too much blame on the headset for my own idiocy, but I would like to see more of these headsets come with basic storage solutions, or even just a more noticeable way to store an entirely black microphone. For all I know, it could be lurking atop my cable-infested all-black desk, just out of sight.

All things considered though, the Syn Pro Air is a great headset if all you care about is PC gaming. At £129.99 it’s hardly a budget option, but the price does reflect in the larger build quality and design. If you’re happy with using it exclusively via its USB dongle, it’s one to check out. Otherwise, it’s likely worth looking elsewhere for a better degree of versatility, or even holding out for an improved model from Roccat down the line.