Roccat on Tuesday unveiled a new gaming headset that looks promising, on paper and in price. Called Noz, the headset dips well below the $100 mark, checking in at $69.99 (€69.99).
That is relatively affordable for a gaming headset—Razer's Nari Ultimate, which we consider to be the best gaming headset, costs more than twice as much. That's also a different beast (it's a wireless headset, for one), though both the Noz and Nari Ultimate wedge larger 50mm neodymium drivers into the earcups.
What seemingly sets the Noz apart is its weight. Billed as an "ultra-light" headset, it weighs just 210 grams. We haven't spent any hands-on time with the Noz yet, but assuming it doesn't clamp onto your noggin like a tightened vice grip or headcrab, this could end up being one of the more comfortable headsets out there.
"The Noz features rich, natural-sounding stereo audio and superior comfort. At only 210 grams it is ROCCAT's lightest headset yet and boasts innovations such as a fabric that keeps cool during wear and earcups with extra space for better acoustics," Roccat says.
Color me intrigued. Of course, audio quality is just as important as comfort. To that end, Roccat (now owned by Turtle Beach, by the way) is hyping the "novel earcup design," which is basically an over-the-ear form factor with ellipse-shaped cans. The insinuation is that your ears should fit comfortably inside, even if you have Spock ears, though Roccat says this also lends itself to better acoustics, with "ergonomically aligned" drivers. We'll see.
On the construction side, this doesn't appear to be a cheap headset, despite the attractive price point. It boasts a stainless-steel headband slider and solid metal hinges, rather than cheap plastic.
"The earcups show both mat and glossy finishes. The leather headband as well as the Noz logo feature a new style for a fresh look, making the Noz is without doubt the most stylish headset from the brand line-up yet," Roccat says.
A voice mute button and volume wheel can be found on the left earcup. What you won't find, however, is an RGB button or toggle, because the Noz jumps off the RGB bandwagon. Some may find that disappointing, others will find it refreshing.
Hopefully we'll get a chance to test drive and review this new headset. In the meantime, it is available to purchase now.
