Velocilinx Boudica Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset

Thank you Velocilinx for sending us this headset to review!

I've been into audio a bit obsessively for quite a few years now, and of course gaming even longer. The marriage between the two hobbies is obvious; how can you enjoy games' excellent soundtracks without a quality audio system? It also can really aid competitive gaming, as good sound cue placement can make a huge difference in your success when playing with friends (or frenemies). I am also always on the lookout to find a bargain, both for myself, and my friends, my children, and, of course, you. That's why I almost always take the opportunity to review an audio product when I have the chance, especially when it's a new manufacturer like Velocilinx.

Anyone who has read any of my reviews knows that I tend to prefer neutral audio profiles (slightly higher highs and lows is okay), and I have a large noggin', so small headsets need not apply. I remember, from several years ago, that a few review headsets in a row didn't fit me properly. Thankfully, manufactures seem to have started making more and more headphones and headsets with the cranially gifted in mind, and more and more headsets that have come through our doors have been fitting me perfectly fine.

And really, build quality is one of the best things about this headset. Even though the headband looks metal-ish, it's plastic - but still with a high-quality feel. The headband strap that sits on top of your head is super comfortable; I have far more expensive headphones that get this part totally wrong. The other critical piece, the ear pads, are a nice soft-touch white leather-like material, and they feel great. They will get a bit warm after a while, but I never felt like it was a serious issue. Most headphones that use leather pads do; this did not feel like it was substantially worse than most others. If anything, the headphones feel great and could easily rest on your head for an hour or more.

The microphone is built-in, and looks like it would stay in place better than it does, but once I found a good spot, I left it alone. It, along with the main USB cable, are protected from bends and other damage with high-quality strain relief ends at every cable end. I really feel like this set should last for a long time, assuming no unusual abuse. The build quality on this headset is one of its standout features. I just love how sturdy and well-thought-out the physical design is. Near the top of the 2.2 meter cable, there is an in-line remote control that lets you change the volume, lighting settings, and headset mute. Other than thinking the mute and enabled light should probably be switched for the microphone, overall I've been very pleased with how the headset looks and feels.

Out of the box, the sound is a bit on the bass-heavy side, and sounds a bit dark for my tastes. This is pretty common with gaming headsets. The difference between this one, and some of the other ones of lower quality I've heard, is that this is a tuning - the highs are definitely still there. Nothing important is missing - and that's critical, especially since the included software helps resolve this issue almost completely.

Obviously the software is only useful in Windows, but it includes some very handy features that really make this headset a lot better. First is the built-in 5 band EQ. While more bands are generally better, in this case it's sufficient to resolve the dark presentation to simply raise the 1200Hz, the 3600Hz, and the 12000Hz bands in an increasingly upward slope, so that each of those three bands is up about 2db up from the previous ones. This EQ setting greatly flattens the response up, and brings out the best from this headset. Other features offered by the software are sound effects that emulate various kinds of rooms (I've always found this useless), microphone settings, and the virtual 7.1 surround feature.