INTRODUCTION

   Back in the old days the only people i knew who used full sized closed headphones were either in the music/radio industry or they were audiophiles who just wanted to listen to their favorite tunes without having to worry about what people around them would say (yes usually at very high volume levels). Now well things have changed a lot since people use headphones and headsets for all sorts of things from listening to music while at home or on the road and answering and making calls from their smartphones up to watching movies and playing their favorite games. As a matter of fact the market for headphones and headsets is so large right now that even several PC case manufacturers have decided that they too want a piece of it. One of them is BitFenix and since their PC cases always seem to hit the bulls eye between price and features i hope the same applies for their latest Flo Premium PC Headset. 

   Focused on combining superior design with the latest advances in technology, BitFenix creates state-of-the-art computer hardware and peripherals that blur the line between man and machine. Users shouldn't have to adjust themselves to the way their hardware works. So, we strive to put the user in complete control of his hardware, so that it functions as an extension of his will, and not as another variable he has to compensate for. In the heat of battle, the user should not have to worry about the state of his equipment, which is why BitFenix products are engineered to perform under even the most extreme conditions. No matter how taxing the situation, users can rely on the strength of BitFenix products to perform as they are intended. Finally, BitFenix is about performance. In the top levels of competition, the difference between first and second place can be razor-thin, which means that every advantage counts. BitFenix is about making high-performing products that give users an edge. BitFenix is the result of the collaboration of several veterans in both the technology and gaming industries. From the same minds behind some of technology’s most venerable products, our goal is to create products that grant the user the utmost control, strength, and performance to complete their computing tasks. We understand that some of the most innovative and novel concepts come from the community itself, which is why we take great steps to listen to the needs of our users and develop optimal ways to integrate their ideas into our products. By working closely with the global community, BitFenix is able to engineer solutions that directly address the needs of our users. Combining a deep understanding of gaming and other high-demand computing applications with superior engineering and design know-how, the BitFenix team is dedicated to creating the go-to computing products and peripherals for those who refuse to quit.

   Unlike other manufacturers BitFenix took steps in creating a headset that people would instantly know it was made by them (well at least people who are aware of their products) so aside the usual company logo placed on the exterior of both earcups (something which everyone does) the Flo also features a nice SofTouch surface coating much like the one we've seen used with their PC cases. Specs-wise the Flo wears two 40mm neodymium drivers featuring a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz with 68 Ohm impedance and 96dB/1mW sensitivity. A removable rubber microphone is also part of the Flo but BitFenix doesn't really say much about it aside the fact that it's flexible so not much info here. The Flo also comes ready with cables for both PC (an in-line volume controller is present here) and mobile use although i can't imagine anyone using the removable microphone for calls while on the road. So the time has come to see whether or not the first attempt in the audio peripherals market by BitFenix is a success.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

We received the Flo headset inside a rather small black box that has a product image at the front along with a small area from where you can see one the left earcup.

You can take a quick look at all four available colors on both sides of the box.

The specifications and features of the Flo along with 2 product pictures are present at the rear.

The box contains the Flo Premium PC Headset, removable flexible microphone, 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable with in-line remote (1m long), 3.5mm cable with 3.5mm microphone and headphone plugs (2m long), 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable (1m long), instructions paper and a warranty information paper.

THE FLO

One of the things we liked about the Flo (especially since it's also ment for use while on the road) is its size and weight (200g).

It still isn't small enough to really compete with the REVO Wireless by Jabra but it's better than many other headsets we've seen in the past.

As mentioned in the introduction page the BitFenix logo is placed on the exterior of both earcups which in turn are coated with their SofTouch surface (looks and feels nice but it does attract dust).

Remember the Tesoro Kuven 7.1 Virtual Surround Headset we reviewed a while back? Well i was glad to see that the earcups of the Flo also have a small angle that follows the way human ears are designed and that adds to its comfort.

Both the microphone and input 3.5mm connectors are placed on the base of the left earcup.

The removable microphone may not be the most flexible (and it's not noise-cancelling either) we've ever seen but we've also seen worse.

Left and right markings are placed above both earcups.

The earcups feature the SoftFeel material by BitFenix and are mid sized.

I was somewhat surprised to see that the earcups can rotate up to 180 degrees something which should also add to their comfort (or you can just use that to have them sit on your desk).

The headband has several small pads which thanks to the light weight frame of the Flo are quite comfortable (The Flo uses a similar self-adjust design for the headband although not nearly as long something that people with large heads will not like).

A pretty basic in-line volume and microphone controller exists on the 3.5mm PC cable.

Another good surprise was the fact that all of the 3.5mm jacks are gold plated.

CONCLUSION

   The Flo marries a good amount bass with relatively good mids and highs however the 40mm drivers (which by the way produce quite good volume levels) lose quite a bit of detail all around while listening to music and that's certainly not something I’d expect from a "premium" PC headset. The good news is that when used in games the Flo is actually better than several other similarly priced stereo headsets and if you have the patience to play around with the equalizer of your OS or smartphone then you should be able to get more out of it like we did (takes time however). Build quality is certainly not the best one around something which is especially evident to us but it's quite good and we can't really expect perfection from an entry-level headset. The microphone was quite good when used in online games like Planetside 2 but the lack of a noise-cancelling filter is very easy to spot under specific scenarios.

   Above average performance alone doesn't cut it so what we needed to see once we wrapped up all our tests with the Flo was the current price BitFenix asks for it and here is where the tables turn since currently you can find it for just USD61.99 (the red version costs USD49.98) inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 53.22Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). So yes for such a price tag the Flo headset is a very good choice but of course that always depends on what you're looking for and if you happen to place audio quality above all else then you really should look elsewhere. For people on a tight budget however the Flo performs well, quality is good, it's quite small, weighs a lot less than most similar headsets and comes with a nice removable microphone. For all of the above we are happy to award the Flo with our Golden Award and we hope that the next headset introduced by BitFenix will aim higher.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality
- Size & Weight (200g)
- Volume & Bass Levels
- Removable Flexible Microphone
- Earcup Angle
- Bundled Cables
- Available In 4 Colors
- Gold Plated 3.5mm Plugs
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Audio Detail