JBL Quantum 800 Wireless 5.0 Noise Cancelling Gaming Headset with Microphone and RGB, PC and PS Wirelessly compatible only, in Black

Product Information

With up to 14 hours of battery life (having ANC on will drain this), you get a lot of gaming time between charges. Sadly there is not any wireless charging built into the Quantum 800’s. Therefore you must charge using the included USB C cable. Final Thoughts

This is a very good mic, though if you want to seriously record or stream you might want to consider getting a dedicated USB microphone instead of relying on a headset. Noise CancellationThe boom microphone is very sensitive and sounds excellent with some tinkering. My first test recordings were filled with sibilance, but after I reduced the microphone volume a bit in the QuantumEngine software, it worked much better. Test recordings after the adjustment were clear and sharp. JBL kindly sent me down a pair of their Quantum 800 gaming headsets recently. After the niggle I had with the cable on the Quantum One, I was looking forward to this wireless headset very much. JBL Quantum 800 – Wireless Freedom! Unbeknown to me, my wife had been talking to me and as I had not responded, decided to put her face to the side of mine. You know in those horror movies when there isn’t something there, and then there is. Yes, I screamed, and it was met with hysterics from both my wife and the TC crew who were on the other end of the voice chat! I certainly needed a few minutes after that!

The noise cancellation isn’t quite as strong as Bose’s ANC technology, but the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are twice as expensive as the Quantum 800. In this price range, if you want good ANC (and don’t need a boom mic), the Sennheiser HD 450BT is an excellent pair of headphones with audiophile-pleasing sound. Otherwise, you’ll be spending much more for better noise cancellation. Performance JBL are renowned for their audio products and the Quantum 800’s do not disappoint! With a lovely rich wide sound, the 50mm dynamic drivers bring the visuals to life as you begin gaming. Every deep bass tone and high-end note are clear and perfectly formed. Music sounds very good on the Quantum 800 when you use the right settings. Like with the Quantum One, I found the bass to sound thin unless you use the Bass Boost EQ preset, which produces a more robust sound that doesn’t sacrifice any clarity in the mids or highs. Curiously, using the QuantumSurround simulated surround mode produces the best balance when listening to music. The mode boosts treble to match the strong bass, and while the result is a somewhat scooped signature that isn’t particularly accurate, it’s an exciting and balanced sound. Stereo and DTS modes don’t boost the higher frequencies, so music can sound a bit flat or (if you use the Bass Boost preset) bass heavy.

Is the JBL Quantum 800 good for gaming?

The active noise cancellation is perfect for gaming if you either a) want to be completely immersed and b) do not want to listen to Paul Hollywood chatting in Bake Off on the TV in the living room. I did have another unfortunate moment that my fellow Thumb Culture staff can confirm while playing Phasmophobia. Because I was transfixed on the job in hand and was making my way around the dark house searching for evidence of the ghost.