Cheap isn't always cheerful. I was reminded of this recently when I spent a week with the Bengoo G9000 gaming headset, a $19 blue-lit ultra-budget unit that provided me with one of the most frustrating product testing experiences I've ever had.
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It's on discount at the moment in the early Amazon Prime Day sales, but even for its incredibly low price, I absolutely cannot recommend it. Luckily, it took me all of three seconds to find a great deal on one of my favorite budget gaming headsets instead, the Razer BlackShark V2 X.
It's important to remember that while you can find PC gaming gear for surprisingly cheap prices all year long (but particularly over the Prime Day sales period) some of it is really not worth your cash. So, one of these headsets is cheap but very good, and one is even cheaper but very bad. Let's take a look at why for a second, shall we?
Quick links
- One of the best: Razer BlackShark V2 X | $40 @ Amazon
- One of the worst: Bengoo G9000 | $19 @ Amazon
One of the best
Let's start out with the good. Razer might be known for some expensive (and often quite excellent) gaming laptops, keyboards and mice, but its budget gear is often brilliant, too. The Razer BlackShark V2 X is a perfect example of this, stripping the feature set back to just what you need for a very attractive price.
For a start, Razer hasn't skimped on the drivers. These 50 mm titanium units sound remarkably good, and the fact you can pick up a pair in a handsome black chassis for a mere $40 at Amazon right now is pretty fantastic.
Speaking of the chassis, the BlackShark V2 X is a very comfortable thing to wear. The earcups are nicely padded, the headband is well-judged, and the weight is mercifully low without tipping into "so light it feels breakable." The mic is decent, too, wrapping up a package that gives you just about everything you could want in a cheap wired gaming headset with very few drawbacks.
Sure, it'd be nice if it was a wireless gaming headset for the same money, and the neon green cable (along with a splash of green or two on the headset furniture itself) won't be for everyone. But otherwise, if your gaming headset is rapidly turning to dust and you need a cheap but excellent replacement, this is the one I'd recommend.
The worst
Ah, my nemesis. We meet again, so soon after I sent you off to the charity shop for your sins. While it might be tempting to think that I leant into hyperbole for comic effect in my week-long test of the Bengoo G9000, I really do have a bone to pick with this particular model.
It's got a 4.3 out of five star rating on Amazon with over 100,000 reviews, which may trick the unwary into thinking it's a bit of a budget banger for the cash. But while the G9000 isn't entirely uncomfortable—and its 40 mm drivers are capable of putting out some chunky bass—it's otherwise a complete bust.
Putting aside the goppingly-awful looks for a moment, I found the mid and treble response of those drivers to be truly horrid. Plus, the microphone in my test unit wouldn't work until I took apart the control box to jiggle the frayed cables inside, and the padding felt like polystyrene.
Perhaps you might like to buy one for yourself just to see and hear what I'm talking about, but I'd advise against it. The Bengoo might be half the price of the BlackShark, but as far as I'm concerned, it's far less than half the headset. Stay far, far away.
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1. Best overall: HyperX Cloud Alpha
2. Best budget: Corsair HS55 Stereo
3. Best wireless: HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless
4. Best mid-range wireless: Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3
5. Best audiophile: Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro
6. Best wireless audiophile: Audeze Maxwell
7. Best for streaming: Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet
8. Best noise-cancelling: AceZone A-Spire
9. Best earbuds: Steelseries Arctis GameBuds
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