INTRODUCTION

    If you've been following my reviews then you probably know that i strongly believe that consumers almost always get what they pay for and that opinion is the result not only of the countless reviews I’ve released up until this very day but also from all the things I’ve bought and used in my life so far. Certainly there have been some strong exceptions to that rule so it's not as they say "ironclad" but as expected the "bad" thing about exceptions is that they are very rare and only come banging on our door once in a while. For good or bad because of the very large number of manufacturers currently in the industry we see more such exceptions when it comes to gaming peripherals than any other segment of the PC market and one of the latest "bright" examples is the Viper V360 7.1 Surround Gaming Headset by Patriot.

   Patriot is a leading manufacturer of high performance, enthusiast memory modules, SSDs, flash storage, gaming peripherals and mobile accessories. Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Fremont, CA, USA, Patriot is committed to technology innovation, customer satisfaction and providing the best price for performance on the market. Patriot products have become world renown for their extreme performance, reliability and innovation. Patriot sells its products through original equipment manufacturers, retailers, e-tailers and distributors throughout the world with operations in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

   Just like the vast majority of similar gaming headsets in the market the Viper 360 7.1 surround sound headset is actually a stereo headset based on two 40mm neodymium magnet drivers (30mm integrated sub-drivers) that feature a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz with 105dB (+/- 3dB) sensitivity, and impedance of 32 Ohms at 1kHz. The signal is then "translated" to 7.1 virtual surround sound with the help of a USB card intergrated into the headset itself (control software is also available). A pull down omnidirectional microphone is also present and features a frequency response of 100Hz-10KHz with -44dB (+/- 3dB) sensitivity, -60dB signal to noise ratio and 2.2KOhm impedance. However there's one thing the Viper V360 has that not many headsets have currently and that's a vibration system (Patriot calls it Ultra Bass Response) which not only adds more power to bass but also pulsates the earpads thus adding to the overall user experience.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 A large product picture is placed at the front of the box right above the main product features and next to a clear plastic window from where you can take a look at the left section of the headset.

The specifications and features of the Viper V360 are all printed at the rear of the box.

Along with the Viper V360 7.1 surround headset you will also get a synthetic cover, two stickers, product catalog and a quick start guide.

THE VIPER V360

 With a weight of just 360g the Viper V360 is far from neither the heaviest nor the largest headset to ever reach our lab.

To showcase the size of the headset in our hands today we once again used the compact REVO Wireless headset by Jabra.

The product line logo is printed on the exterior of both earcups and as you can all see it’s surrounded by a grille.

Left and right markings are placed just over the product line logo.

The pull-down (or foldable) microphone is placed at the front of the left earcup.

Although the microphone is not flexible you can still pull it down up to roughly 110 degrees via 8 increments.

From the rear of the left earcup you can turn on/off the ultra-bass response feature, set the volume levels and turn on/off the side LEDs.

The earpads may not be the largest ever so they may not be enough to completely cover some people’s ears but they are very comfortable.

Instead of a extendable headband the Viper V360 features a suspension system which not only is very comfortable but it automatically adjusts to any head type/size.

Patriot has placed the product line name on the exterior of the suspension system.

The 2.2 meter long braided cable ends on a gold plated USB connector/plug.

We may live in the RGB era but the red LED placed on the exterior of both earcups looks nice.

VIPER AUDIO CENTER

 Since the Viper V360 comes without a software CD you will need to download the control software from the Patriot product page as seen above.

The control software is very basic and so you can just control the volume from the speaker tab.

Moving onto the microphone tab we see pretty much the same thing so here you can control the recording volume of the microphone.

CONCLUSION

   The Viper V360 7.1 surround gaming headset may not impress with its "premium" build quality (materials used could be better - doesn't mean they will not last however since they do seem durable) nor with its red LEDs but it offers deep bass (especially with the ultra-bass response feature turned on - although it does tickle a bit) with surprisingly good volume levels (the volume control of the audio center is not tied to the volume control knob of the headset). Highs may not be stellar nor are its mids but based on the product specifications (sub-woofer and ultra bass response feature) it's somewhat clear that Patriot aimed primarily towards delivering plenty of bass. Thanks to its low weight and suspension system the Viper V360 is also one of the most comfortable headsets to ever make it here so do keep that also in mind. As for the microphone well just like with most similar headsets in the market it could be a lot better but since people on the other end heard me quite clearly i guess it's ok.

   The Patriot Viper V360 7.1 surround gaming headset currently retails for just USD34.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for just 33Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) so as expected you will not see us complain about it. After looking around it seems that the OEM supplier of Patriot also used to sell almost the same headset (small differences in specifications) for less but that's no longer the case (even if it was however do remember that you're also paying for other things like warranty and support). With that out of the way we all feel that the Viper V360 offers a great bang for your buck and for that it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Weight
- Design
- Ultra Bass Response Feature (Earcup Vibration)
- Earcup LEDs
- Suspension System (Comfort)
- Volume Levels
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Average Mids & Highs
- Materials Used (Still Good For the Price)