INTRODUCTION

   What happens when you have a large number of products to be reviewed around and you suddenly receive a large box containing two of the most anticipated PC game titles of 2013? Now as expected we usually place all products in a line based on the when we received each one so we can be fair to every manufacturer out there. However we do make some exceptions due to certain events and so since we recently received Batman Arkham Origins and Battlefield 4 naturally we wanted to enjoy them as much as possible and the only possible way to do that was to place priority on certain gaming peripherals which is exactly what we did in the end. Of course combining business with pleasure is not the easiest thing but it's better than just business so for the past 7 days we've been focusing in testing gaming peripherals. So since we all know how important it is for game immersion to have good and clear audio today we will be taking a closer look at the latest 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound Headset by Logitech the G430.

   Focused on innovation and quality, Logitech designs personal peripherals to help people enjoy a better experience with the digital world. We started in 1981 with mice, which (new at the time) provided a more intuitive way of interacting with a personal computer. We became the worldwide leader in computer mice, and have reinvented the mouse in dozens of ways to match the evolving needs of PC and laptop users. Since those early days, we have expanded our expertise in product design beyond the computer mouse, with a broad portfolio of interface devices that are the “last inch” between you and your computer or your console game, digital music or home-entertainment system. With products sold in almost every country in the world, Logitech’s leadership in innovation now encompasses a wide variety of personal peripherals (both cordless and corded), with special emphasis on products for PC navigation, gaming, Internet communications, digital music and home-entertainment control. For each of our product categories, we study how our customers use their digital devices, and then our designers and engineers set their sights on how we can create a better experience with those devices – richer, more comfortable, more fun, more productive, more convenient, and more delightful.

   For the latest G430 headset Logitech has used two stereo drivers paired with a 7.1 virtual surround USB soundcard a "recipe" which seems to be very successful especially amongst gamers since it offers a very good price/audio performance ratio. Each driver is 40mm in size (something that may end up hindering its bass performance and levels) and features a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz with 32Ohm impedance and 90dB sensitivity. The fold-up microphone used is unidirectional and has a frequency response of 50Hz-20KHz with -40dB of sensitivity at 2.2KOhm. Specs-wise you can see that the G430 is not really something unique since there are many similar headsets out there from a large number of manufacturers, however as you will also see later on thanks to the quality of materials used, its design and the Logitech Gaming Software the G430 is far from your average 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound Headset.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The G430 arrived inside a cardboard box part of which is open allowing the consumer to take a look through the interior clear plastic clamshell protective.

On the left side we see another product image and some of its features in 6 languages.

Turning the box around we see a product image used to point to the features of the unit, the features list written in 6 languages and a product description written in 11.

Leaving out the G430 7.1 Surround Sound Headset inside the box you will also find the USB soundcard, setup guide and warranty information papers.

THE G430

Logitech keeps using the same base design as they did with the G35 and i really see no reason not to. This time however they have opted for a much more trendy black/light blue color combination.

On the exterior of each earcup Logitech has placed their Gaming Gear logo and right above we see the model name.

By default the unidirectional microphone is folded upwards and as you can see it has a vertical movement of up to 120 degrees.

The headband of the G430 extends up to 5cm on each side via 15 increments (no visual markings however).

Logitech has used very soft cloth earpads which can be removed very easily.

Both earpieces swivel up to 90 degrees for easier carrying and storage.

The headpad has the same cloth material as the earpads so it's quite comfortable.

An small in-line controller allows you to mute the microphone and control the volume.

Unfortunately although i did like the cloath cover for the cable both 3.5mm plugs are not gold plated.

If you want to make use of the 7.1 virtual surround sound feature of the G430 you will have to plug both into the USB soundcard.

LOGITECH GAMING SOFTWARE

Much like with most peripherals in the market now by Logitech the G430 also uses their Gaming Software which you can download from their support/downloads page.

Although this is a headset there are plenty of things to toy around with in the software such as volume and bass/tremble levels, a very useful advanced equalizer and the surround equalizer.

You can also load specific profiles for games the software detects and supports (it always detects ME3 in our system).

CONCLUSION

   If you want the best positioning audio around i have to say that neither the G430 nor any 7.1 virtual surround sound headset can offer that and as a matter of fact in the case of some headsets i really suggest turning that option off when playing games. Logitech did do a good effort with the G430 but at least for us it didn't do the trick. That being said the 40mm drivers had as worried for a second since in most cases such diameter is not enough (or at least based on the headsets we've used) to produce deep and powerful bass but that's not the case with the G430 since we were blown away by its bass levels and that was without us adjusting the bass level bar in the software (once we did well you can imagine). Mids and highs were not as impressive but still very good and crisp although i have to point out that the volume levels of the headset when used with the USB soundcard were not as good as we'd like them to be. The G430 is also quite light so coupled with the very soft earpads and headpad we used it for many hours per gaming session without issues. Regarding the microphone i can't say that we used it a lot but for the small period that we did it performed as advertised so no complaints here either.

   As we speak the G430 Surround Sound Gaming Headset by Logitech retails for a very attractive price tag of USD64.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 49Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de special offer). Of course there are quite a few other virtual surround gaming headsets at around the same price range in the market but the Logitech G430 beats most of them not only because of its build quality and design but also because it packs powerful bass levels, has crisp mids/highs and can also be used both with and without the USB soundcard. Sure you can find better headsets out there but simply not at the same price range and because of that the G430 Surround Sound Headset by Logitech walks with our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Audio Quality (Very Good Mids/Highs)
- Powerful Bass Levels
- 7.1 Virtual Surround USB Sound Card (For Some)
- Comfortable
- Logitech Gaming Software
- Price 

CONS

- Volume Levels (When Using The Soundcard)