INTRODUCTION

   As far back as i can remember whenever i would find the time to attend a large LAN event i would see dozens of people wearing full sized closed type gaming headsets since these solutions obviously offered the best possible noise isolation along with good positioning audio (at least for most models). Personally i also use a closed type gaming headset with my primary test system to avoid intruding in other people’s privacy at night when playing online MMOs line Planetside 2 so this never really came as a surprise to me. However things seem to be changing and so lately many gaming peripherals manufacturers have begun to release in-ear headsets (i prefer the term earsets) featuring drivers with exceptional audio specifications making them ideal for gaming use. SteelSeries hardly needs any introductions and as it was expected they were the first manufacturer to join this new trend so follow us as we take their latest FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset and put it through rigorous testing with all the latest gaming titles, movies and of course our favorite new and old tunes.

    From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making professional gaming gear that provide meaningful benefits to gamers of all skill-level, with the most demanding being those gamers whose lively hood depends on the performance of our products. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying! What originally began as a small two-person operation in Copenhagen back in 2001 has become a global leader in professional gaming products. SteelSeries recognized the need for superior, high-quality professional gaming gear that would give players a competitive edge. Fast-forward to today, and we've come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!

    If I’ve learned anything after performing countless product reviews for the past years that is to never ever judge a book by its cover (or a product by its appearance obviously). What always matters most is the specifications list/table of each product and so specs-wise the brand new FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset by SteelSeries comes outfitted with two armature based technology drivers featuring a frequency response of 15Hz-22 KHz, 26 Ohm impedance and 105dB of sensitivity (@ 1KHz). Also since we are talking about a gaming headset naturally an in-line Omni-directional microphone is also present featuring a frequency response of 100Hz-10KHz and a sensitivity of -38dB. Just for the record these specifications (especially the ones of the armature drivers) are quite better than what we see with most regular closed type headsets however since the size of the drivers also plays a significant role in the output audio quality and volume levels it's a safe bet that the FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset will fall somewhat short on that end. Just how much is for us to find out during the rest of this review.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Unlike most earset boxes you can't see the FLUX In-Ear Pro from the front of the box, there is however a large product picture available along with images showcasing its main features and the SteelSeries logo.

The FLUX In-Ear Pro comes with Comply Foam Tips and these along with the over the ear attachments are mentioned on the left side in 4 languages.

A few words about the state of the art armature drivers are placed on the right side again in 4 languages.

The product specifications along with the bundle contents and a few words about the product once again in 4 languages are placed at the rear.

SteelSeries has used a secondary cardboard box inside which the bundle is placed in a formed piece of plastic.

Once again we see that SteelSeries is shipping a very rich bundle with one of their products. More specifically aside the FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset you also get a rather hard carrying case, dual 3.5mm adapter, over the ear attachments, 3 sets of tips, quick start guide, SteelSeries case badge, warning paper (regarding volume levels), paper talking about the foam tips by Comply and a card by SteelSeries with some of their products at the rear.

THE FLUX IN-EAR PRO

The FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset comes with a total of 4 sets of tips, 3 regular rubber ones and one set of foam tips by Comply. These foam tips take the shape of your ears interior so they are quite more comfortable and provide better noise isolation (although some people may not like their feeling).

Although the carrying case is quite hard it's actually dressed with soft material and has the FLUX logo on it.

Aside the headset inside the carrying case you can place the extra 2x3.5mm adapter amongst other things.

One of the things that makes the FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset unique is the flat cable used which is extremely hard to get tangled.

The design of the FLUX In-Ear Pro earphones is somewhat strange indeed but that helps since it allows you to use them either like normal earsets or over the ear.

For good or bad SteelSeries has used regular hard plastic for the earphones.

There are L/R markings on the interior of each earphone.

Removing the tips is not hard since you just need to pull them out however mounting a new tip is a tad more difficult compared to other earsets I’ve used in the past.

You can easily use the over ear attachments as seen above if you enjoy wearing the headset that way more (or if it's more comfortable for you).

There's also an in-line controller that can be used both with PC/MAC and mobile devices (single button, answers/ends calls, pauses/resumes current track). Placed on the other side of the controller is the Omni-directional microphone.

One of the most impressive features of the FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset is the swappable ends so aside the single 3.5mm output mounted by default which you can use with mobile devices you can also use one with two 3.5mm plugs (headphones/microphone) designed for PC and MAC.

I was happy to see that SteelSeries has gold plated all three 3.5mm plugs.

What surprised me was that although the 2 available swappable ends have gold plated ports the main headset plug is regular (it really makes no sense).

CONCLUSION

   Some of you may wonder how a tiny earset can compare to a full sized closed type headset and to be honest with all of you that were our initial response too, however after testing the FLUX In-Ear headset for the past 11 days our opinion has really changed for the best. I need only to say that thanks to the superior audio clarity (highs and mids are almost excellent) and depth offered by the FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset i was able to "spot" extra instruments used in various pop/rock/heavy metal songs with ease something that i usually have a hard time doing with the majority of the headsets and earsets I’ve used to date. Bass is more than sufficient for such a solution but naturally a small driver like the one used here can't compete in that aspect with larger closed type headsets so if you cherish bass above everything else then in general i wouldn't suggest choosing an earset. Positioning effects in games and movies were also not as good as the ones we get from closed type headsets but I would be lying if I said I was expecting something else, we are talking about a set of tiny earphones after all. Perhaps the only thing that did "annoy" us a bit was the weight of the headset so i really suggest using the over the ear attachments instead of using it as is (of course this comes down to personal preference).

   Since the FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset is the high-end in-ear solution by SteelSeries we did expect its price tag to reflect that and at USD129.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 132.89Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) it really does. Personally i don't think that the price tag is way more than it should be but that being said i do think that SteelSeries should slightly lower it to make the FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset more affordable for people who don't really want to spend over USD100/100Euros for a headset (especially for an earset). That aside with the FLUX In-Ear Pro Headset you are getting a high quality headset with superior audio clarity, near-excellent highs/mids and sufficient bass along with several extras including a carrying case, 3 extra sets of tips (including a memory foam one) and two different detachable ends so we can't think of something more we could ask from SteelSeries which is why we are giving them our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Audio Clarity & Depth (Near-Excellent Highs/Mids, Good Bass)
- Flat No-Tangle Cable
- Omni-Directional Microphone
- In-Line Controller
- 2 Detachable Ends
- Carrying Case
- 3 Extra Sets Of Tips (Comply Foam Tips Included)
- Gold Plated Plugs & Ports

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Positioning Audio (Expected From Such A Solution)