Plantronics GameCom 777 review: Plantronics GameCom 777

Design and features

Employing the angular design and rubberised plastic so popular in gaming peripherals today, the GameCom 777 is an attractive bit of kit. With independently adjustable earpieces and a swing down, extendable microphone, it ticks the basic boxes for comfortable gaming use.

8.0

Plantronics GameCom 777

The Good

Good sound quality for the price. 3.5mm and USB connections. No drivers required for USB connection. Bendable microphone tucks away into headset when not in use. Volume and mute control on the cable. Long cable.

The Bad

Clamping force of the headphones is a little high, which may lead to discomfort after prolonged use. Bass rumble tends to obfuscate some low to mid tones. Dolby effect does not deliver on promise.

The Bottom Line

We like the the GameCom 777 — for its price, it's an excellent bit of kit with good sound quality and a booming rumble on the bass end.

The earpieces and the head band are cushioned in what feels like plush velvet — nonetheless the clamping force is a little too great. We found it fine for an hour or three of gaming, but after extended use we started to feel a little more pressure than was comfortable. The flip down mic is useful and responsive, and can be bent to position in front of your mouth, although it doesn't feature the handy light as found in the Logitech G35 that lets you know when mute is turned on.

Plantronics has opted for thick plastic cabling, something that should wear well over time. There is an inline remote with a wheel-style volume control as well as a mic mute button, which is positioned about 50cm from the headset. A removable clip allows you to attach the cord to either clothing or indeed itself, to reposition the remote or adjust the hanging weight of the cable.

It's connectable through USB, in which case the output sound can be subjected to Dolby "virtual" 5.1 sound. A blue light lets you know if it's activated, and a switch on the side allows you to turn it off. Everything is done in hardware, no software or drivers are required.

Uniquely though, you can also hook up the GameCom 777 through individual 3.5mm microphone and headphone jacks, which break away from the USB adapter. This is immensely handy if you've already shelled out clams for a discrete sound card like a Sound Blaster, or want to use the headphones on equipment that doesn't have a full-sized USB port.

It's an open headset, meaning some sound will leak out, and external sound will leak in. However, it's a personal preference as to whether you prefer it opened or closed, and Plantronics suggests it's a design decision so you can hear people talking out loud at a LAN as well as through the headset.

Performance

The Dolby device, while giving a much wider sound stage and removing immediacy, does very little in the realm of positional audio despite "virtual" 5.1 claims. We'd suggest leaving the effect off for music intended for stereo, but some gamers may prefer the wider scape during gameplay.

Tonally, like most gaming headsets, the GameCom 777 delivers quite the bass kick, although tends to provide that extra rumble at the sacrifice of low-end to mid-tone clarity. Oddly you can still make the masked sounds out if you really listen — they're simply overwhelmed by the additional low-end vibration. Still, the audio quality is excellent for a headset you can find in stores for around AU$99, a good AU$50 cheaper than the RRP.

We like the the GameCom 777 — for its price, it's an excellent bit of kit with good sound quality and a booming rumble on the bass end. It doesn't quite have the fit, finish and flexibility of its Logitech competitor, and the clamping force is a little bit strong, but it's cheaper, offers 3.5mm plug-in and quite frankly, does the job well. Bravo, Plantronics.