INTRODUCTION

   If you happen to live alone or you have your PC in your very own room chances are you may not have much use for a gaming headset especially if you like single player games. Of course even if those two apply you still need one if you're playing multiplayer games since using a microphone to communicate with other people while using speakers is certainly not the ideal scenario. Choosing the right headset however is not the easiest thing to and although audiophiles and enthusiasts will more get their hands on a stereo model for the best mids, highs and bass in music and movies gamers will most certainly opt for a true or a virtual surround one to get the best positioning audio possible when playing their favorite titles. Last year Ozone Gaming released the EKHO H80 Origen Pro Gaming Headset which we've used for a period of two months both at the office/lab and at home.

   Ozone Gaming was founded in Spain in 2009, our mission was to create a company where we could all enjoy and relish our work. Our own space, a gaming environment from where we could show our particular point of view to the rest of the world. We love videogames, we love to experience other lives, conquer other planets and fight against hard opponents. We wanted to live like this for all the days to come. We made it, our company shares passion and love for what we do. We have fulfilled our most desirable dream. Oh, in case that you didn't notice, we craft gaming products to share our passion with you. And here we are, soldiers of the game. Get to know us.

   For the EKHO H80 Origen Pro Gaming Headset Ozone Gaming used two large 53mm dynamic stereo drivers that feature a frequency response of 10Hz-20KHz with 32 Ohm impedance and 97dB sensitivity (this number is not present online just on the box), a uni-directional retractable microphone which features a frequency response of 50Hz-20KHz with -38dB sensitivity and 2.2 KOhm impedance and a 7.1 virtual surround USB card by C-Media Electronics (unfortunately the headset only features a USB plug). The EKHO H80 Origen Pro Gaming Headset also features a in-line controller with which you can control the volume levels (you can also mute both the microphone and the two drivers) and an exclusive design (unlike many other gaming headsets in the market which are rebranded) with extra-large earpads for increased comfort and blue LEDs on the exterior of both earcups.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A large product picture takes most of the front of the box (actually this is a cover) and next to it we also see the main product features.

Both specification tables are placed on the left side of the box.

Printed on the right side are some words about X-Peke and Origen.

The main box also features a large product picture at the front.

Ozone Gaming has placed the EKHO H80 Origen inside a formed piece of plastic as you can see from the above picture.

You are only getting a quick start guide along with the EKHO H80 Origen.

THE EKHO H80 ORIGEN

The EKHO H80 is a medium sized headset that weighs 380g and is made primarily out of plastic.

To showcase its size we placed it right next to the compact REVO Wireless Headset by Jabra.

A large R and the Origen name are placed on the exterior of both earcups.

The retractable microphone is very flexible and features a blue LED at the front (on for when the microphone is working and off when mute).

Left and right markings are placed above both earpads.

As Ozone Gaming says the earpads are very large and soft so your ears will probably fit right in.

The headpad may not be as thick as the earpads but it's also very comfortable.

You can extend the headband a total of 60mm (30mm on each side) via 8 increments visible on the inside.

The in-line controller allows you to increase/decrease the volume and to mute both the speakers and the microphone.

The 2 meter long cord has a regular USB plug at the end.

The exterior of both earcups lights up blue just like the tip of the microphone and the top of the in-line controller.

CONTROL SOFTWARE

You can download the control software from the link found in the EKHO H80 Origen product page.

The main control software screen just has the current sample rate and three bars to control the volume levels.

By right clicking on the speaker and the microphone on the left side of the screen you can access more settings.

Here you can change the sample rate, setup the equalizer (or use one of the 12 presets), enable/disable environmental effects (too many to choose from), enable/disable the 7.1 virtual surround sound feature (you can also adjust the volume of each virtual channel), enable/disable sound FX and you can also enable/disable Xear max feature (clones the front channels to the rear).

In terms of microphone settings you can also adjust the volume levels, sample rate, voice FX (you can also morph your voice via the magic voice feature) and you can finally enable/disable microphone boost (increases volume).

CONCLUSION

   We used the EKHO H80 Origen Pro Gaming Headset for a total of just under 2 months not only with games but also with movies and various music genres and styles. In terms of design I think most gamers will like it (unless blue is not your color) but really I can’t say the same about its build quality since it does feel quite flimsy at times. As for performance on one hand as expected from the 53mm drivers bass levels are quite good especially when you’re not using the 7.1 virtual surround feature but on the other hand however mids and highs although quite good didn’t impress us. Clarity is also quite good and even at full volume we didn’t encounter any static/distortion something which happens more than we’d like when testing gaming headsets. The 7.1 virtual surround feature works in games and even while watching movies but it’s not the most accurate we’ve encountered. On the bright side thanks to the extra-large earpads comfort levels were quite high so even after 2-3 continuous hours of using the EKHO H80 Origen we didn’t experience any head or neck pain. Unfortunately much like with most 7.1 virtual surround sound headsets the EKHO H80 Origen features just a USB connector so you can’t use it with another device. The flexible retractable microphone was a good surprise but once again we didn’t see anything new in that area (same performance as numerous other headsets).

   So how much do you need to spend for the EKHO H80 Origen Pro Gaming Headset? Currently you can find it for USD89.99 inside the USA (Newegg.com) and for 89.90Euros inside the EU (directly from Ozone Gaming) a price tag which we feel is just a tad too much for what this particular headset offers. Needless to say it’s understandable that licensing a headset after any eSports team will raise its final price but the end result doesn’t change. Of course if you like that particular eSports team and the design of the EKHO H80 Origen Pro Gaming Headset then it may be worth your time and money but the truth of the matter is you can find equally good gaming headsets for less.

PROS

- Exclusive Origen Design
- Comfortable (Extra Large Earpads / Weight)
- Good Bass Levels
- Control Software (Available Settings)
- Retractable Microphone
- Volume Levels

CONS

- Mids & Highs
- Build Quality Could Be Better
- Price (For Some)