RIG R5 Spear Pro headset review - "All about the sound, less about the frills - and that's a good thing"
- The RIG R5 Spear Pro headset offers a truly plug-and-play affair with its wired connection
- Exceptional audio quality for an affordable price
- Mic isn't the best, but it does the job
I know the mobile world is all about wireless and portability, but sometimes, a good old-fashioned wired connection still makes the most sense - which is why when the lovely folks over at RIG offered a sample of their latest R5 Spear Pro headset, the wired connection was what first caught my eye.
Now, you might think it's odd for me to have a mobile device that still sports a handy little 3.5mm jack, but I like having wired peripherals with me - I still use a wired mouse and a wired keyboard every day on my laptop, for instance.
And while modern thingamajigs boast fast charging times now and low-latency Bluetooth connections, sometimes, all I really want is to plug my device in and be done with it - a true plug-and-play affair.
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RIG R5 Spear Pro headset design and hardware
But I'm getting ahead of myself. The design, right out of the box, tells you just how no-frills this headset is, especially since all it really has is a set of mod plates aside from the headset itself. I appreciate how there are no complicated bits and bobs I have to fumble around for here. It's really as simple as putting the headset on and getting started - no on/off buttons, no holding down for so-and-so seconds just to see if things have connected or not, no tedious memorisations on which LED lights mean what.
What makes it stand out, however, is how you can easily swap out different mod plates to customise how you want your headset to look. The official website even lets you 3D print or design your very own personalised R5 Series Mod-Plates, which easily snap on and off via magnetic attachments.
Even the earcups can be swapped out, but honestly, with how comfy the memory foam ear cushions feel, it's hard to want to switch them out for anything else.
Gaming experience and performance
With its tagline that boasts "audio above all", it's almost like a "challenge accepted" kind of deal where anyone would be tempted to put such a bold claim to the test. While I'm not exactly a competitive player, I still want my audio to shine through when I'm embarking on any kind of mobile adventure, and I'm happy to report that the R5 Pro didn't disappoint.
Usually, when you think about wired entry-level equipment, you're inclined to expect equally entry-level features too. Thankfully, there were absolutely no compromises made here, as the sounds really do come through whether I'm hacking and slashing through demons in Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat or simply chilling to the beats of Project: Muse.
But what actually impressed me the most while I was testing was how vivid the ambient sounds were in Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation. I could simply hear, well, everything, from the crickets punctuating the summer air to the tap-tap of Shinnosuke Nohara's tiny feet on the tatami mat inside their home. Even the soft chirping of the birds in one scene, the howling of the wind in another, and the ambient sounds of passengers in the busy Kumamoto Station were all incredibly vivid.
There's just no way to describe it but "clean" - it's not warbled, not distorted, just clean, period.
What's The Verdict?
It's hard to believe that this kind of sound quality comes from something that'll only set you back by £69.90 a pop. I'm told that Graphene-coated drivers usually come at a very high cost, so how RIG managed to deliver something truly wallet-friendly is likely no easy feat.
Of course, with the reduced cost comes a few trade-offs - there's a very plastic feel to it, for one thing, and for another, don't expect any kind of noise cancellation here. The plastic build doesn't make it feel cheap in the least, though, as it felt, in fact, incredibly sturdy the whole time I was testing it. There were no odd shakes and wiggles on the lightweight headset, with everything held snugly in place by magnets.
I also really like the mic position here, but although it boasts studio-grade quality, I found it still couldn't keep the wind out when I was speaking into the mic with my tiny desktop fan aimed right at my face.
It didn't pick up the YouTube video I was playing in the background, so while I wouldn't use it to record a podcast, I suppose if you're teaming up with your best buds on another epic quest to save the world, that's more than enough.
Overall, the RIG R5 Spear Pro headset delivers exceptional sound quality for something so basic, budget-friendly, and fuss-free. The wired connection keeps things simple - a truly welcome feature for when I've already got too many chargers and cables and connectivity issues to worry about on a daily basis. The customisable mod plates are a lovely plus too, proving all the more that "entry-level" doesn't have to leave a lot to be desired.
RIG R5 Spear Pro headset review - "All about the sound, less about the frills - and that's a good thing"
The RIG R5 Spear Pro is a fantastic wired headset that offers no-frills features because it focuses entirely on sound quality. It's easy on the budget without compromising what it's actually made for, which is, truly, "audio above all" - and at a mere £69.90, it's an absolute steal.
Catherine Dellosa
Catherine plays video games for a living and writes because she’s in love with words. Her Young Adult contemporary novel, For The Win: The Not-So-Epic Quest Of A Non-Playable Character, is her third book published by Penguin Random House SEA - a poignant love letter to gamer geeks, mythological creatures, teenage heartbreak, and everything in between.
She one day hopes to soar the skies as a superhero, but for now, she strongly believes in saving lives through her works in fiction. Check out her books at bit.ly/catherinedellosabooks, or follow her on FB/IG/Twitter at @thenoobwife.