INTRODUCTION

     Whether many of us like it or not we usually get exactly what we pay for and that goes for just about everything, not just when it comes to the electronics industry. That being said it's only normal that not all of us can or are willing to spend the same amount of money but as a good friend of mine once told me, there's something for every pocket size out there. The gaming peripherals market isn't excluded from all the above and so today I’ll be testing one of the most affordable 7.1 virtual surround sound gaming headsets one can find in the global market, the E900 Pro by EKSA.

   Our motto is No burden, just joy. Unlike other gaming headphones, EKSA gaming headphones are lightweight and comfortable. There are big-name gaming headphones in the market, but good products don't always require a lot of money. Based in China, we have advanced manufacturing processes, excellent experienced acoustical engineers, electronic engineers, structural engineers and industrial designers, which contribute to premium products at a competitive price. EKSA is devoted to bringing real comfort to each gamer around the world. No burden, just joy.

   The E900 Pro model wears two 50mm neodymium magnet stereo drivers (frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz with 32 Ohm impedance and 118dB sensitivity) which thanks to a build-in USB audio card by Cmedia (probably based on the CM6206 chip) can produce 7.1 virtual surround sound (3D surround sound). The E900 Pro can also be used with a regular 3.5mm plug (thus compatible with every device with an 3.5mm audio output - 7.1 virtual surround sound only works on the PC) and also features an detachable boom omni-directional microphone (2.2 KOhm impedance with 20Hz-2KHz frequency response and -42dB sensitivity), durable and flexible metal frame, red exterior earcup LEDs, exterior audio controls and 10 degree adjustable earcups. So, time to take a closer look and see what EKSA has brought to the market with their budget-friendly E900 Pro 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound Gaming Headset.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

EKSA ships the E900 Pro inside a black and purple box the front of which is taken by a large product picture, a sticker pointing to the 2-year warranty, their logo and the system compatibility.

The main product features are printed on the left side of the box.

At the rear of the box we find the product specifications and the bundle contents.

Along with the E900 Pro 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound Gaming Headset and its detachable boom microphone inside the box you will also find a leatherette carrying/storage pouch, 3.5mm cable, 3.5 y-splitter, USB-C to USB-A cable, registration paper and two user manuals (detailed and easy edition).

THE E900 PRO

Before all else i think it's worth pointing out that all the 3.5mm plugs found in the bundle are gold plated.

The E900 Pro features a black and red color theme and is made out of plastic, aluminum and leatherette.

In terms of dimensions the E900 Pro is clearly a medium sized model.

The exterior of both earcups features a grill and red LEDs located behind the EKSA logo.

Left and right markings are also located on the exterior just over each earcup.

At the base of the left earcup we find the microphone port, USB-C port and a 3.5mm port whereas at the rear we see the volume increase/decrease knob and the microphone mute button.

The omnidirectional boom microphone is very flexible and also features an windscreen.

Left and right markings are also placed on the interior of the plush earpads.

The headpad is also covered with leatherette and is quite thick.

As expected EKSA has printed their name on the exterior of the headband.

The headband can extend up to 28mm on each side via 8 increments (5 visible ones).

EKSA AUDIO CENTER

Since the E900 Pro uses a Cmedia USB solution we find the usual control software which is divided into two sections, speakers and microphone (from the top you can choose one of the 4 available presets).

By right clicking on the speaker icon you can access the volume levels, sample rate, equalizer (13 presets), environmental effects, room size, 7.1 virtual surround sound speaker shifter and the Xear SingFX and Surround Max features.

Likewise, by right clicking on the microphone icon you can access the volume levels, sample rate and the Xear SingFX and microphone boost features.

CONCLUSION

   EKSA is a very new company in the gaming peripherals market so as expected they focus all their resources in the design, development and manufacture of affordable products. Unfortunately, however just like with most (if not all) companies of that size that automatically means that their products fall short when compared to some of their competition, their more expensive competition that is. So yes, the E900 Pro offer little more compared to what I’ve seen in the past with many other low-cost models, at least when it comes to audio quality and clarity. I did use the headset for a couple of weeks with several game titles (primarily with Monster Hunter World Iceborne, The Wind Road and DCS World), 4k movies and FLAC audio tracks and even though i did quite enjoy its volume levels and positioning audio (you may need to play a bit with the Xear features/enhancements to get optimal results) it fell short in terms of audio accuracy/reproduction (more specifically mids and highs). Microphone performance is also nothing to get excited over but at least it's very similar to what we see even from even far more expensive headsets. On the other hand, comfort levels are high and as for build quality well although far from great it's certainly a step up compared to what we see at that price range.

   Thanks to its current price tag of USD36.79 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 36.99Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the E900 Pro by EKSA is among the most affordable 7.1 virtual surround sound gaming headsets in the market today. At the end of the day it always comes down to what you’re looking for however so if audio quality is very important for you then the E900 Pro is clearly not a candidate. However, if you can’t or just don’t want to climb higher in terms of cost then the EKSA E900 Pro certainly deserves checking out.

PROS

- Design
- Good Quality (Metal Frame)
- Detachable USB C Cable
- Comfort Levels
- Relatively Accurate Positioning Audio
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Audio Quality/Clarity (Mids/Highs)