4. Creative Fatal1ty MKII
Creative Fatal1ty MKII: $99.99
About five years ago, the name Fatal1ty struck fear into the hearts of Quake and Painkiller players everywhere. But more recently, Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel is associated with brands from Creative and other hardware companies. The MKII (Mark Two) is the latest Creative headset with the famous (and once feared), Fatal1ty brand.
In the box, you’ll find the headset, a detachable mic, and a special Silencer microphone connector attachment (more on that later). The MKII is 3.5 mm connectors only, no USB available. Like the other 3.5 mm-based headsets in this roundup, the MKII is a snap to set up, just plug in and go. The in-line controls are small and simple, with a wheel for volume and clearly-labeled switch for turning the mic on and off.
The basic design of the Fatal1ty series headsets hasn’t changed much over the last few years. The cans and microphone boom are redesigned, but the headband is essentially the same. The exterior of the MKII is plastic, but the interior of the headband is metal, so there’s some added strength on the top and sides. The cans can rotate 90 degrees inwards, which makes wearing the MKII around your neck a little more comfortable between frag sessions.
While the headband is rigid due to the metal inside, this doesn’t take away from comfort at all. The headset is fairly light overall and sits on your head without adding any real uncomfortable weight. The cans are a little snug and they fit over the ear, but just barely. After two or three hours of gaming, don’t be surprised if your ears need a break.
The detachable microphone locks into place quite easily on the left can with a simple clockwise twist. We got no complaints about mic quality on Ventrilo, Skype, or the CS servers. One feature we didn’t have a chance to test was the Silencer option on the microphone. In order to use it, you need to pair the MKII with a Creative X-Fi Titanium sound card. The mic boom on the MKII has two extra mics, one on the opposite side of the primary and one where the boom meets the can. These two mics take the ambient noise in the room and send it to the card, which then counteracts the noise, supposedly making your mic even clearer. Other reviews about the feature are mixed, but we give Creative the benefit of the doubt on this one.
The MKII is a headset designed and marketed towards the eSports crowd, so it would be a shame if it didn’t perform well in first-person shooter (FPS) game titles. The positional audio on the MKII is good, but it’s sometimes overshadowed by too much bass. Shooting someone in the face with a rocket only gets better if the projectile is accompanied by a nice rumble while en route to its intended target, but too much can be a little distracting in fast-paced titles like Quake and Modern Warfare 2.
The MKII is one of the best-sounding headsets you will find under the $100 mark. The bass is the best we’ve heard for a headset in this price range. We were expecting some sort of rumble, but the MKII thunders something fierce in the lows. That, combined with solid mids and crisp highs, makes the MKII a solid choice for gamers who crave full-bodied sound. Whether you’re listening to Metallica or watching "Star Trek," the MKII's sound quality is amazing, hands down.
When it comes to sound quality in a headset for less than $100, the Fatal1ty MKII from Creative cannot be beat. Period. If you have a smaller head than I do and willing to spend $99.99, then the MKII is the perfect fit. Overall: 4/5
How big are your ears? Would the SteelSeries Siberia v2 fit on a guy that's 6'6" and can sometimes get lift from my big ears if the wind is strong enough? A comfortable headset is worth its weight in gold to me.
Hey fozzie!
Both my ears are roughly 2.75"(top to bottom) by 1.5"(left to right). The Siberia fits with room to spare, so unless your ears are the size of doormats, you should be in the clear.
-Devin
I'm pretty sure Astro Gaming bribed Tomsguide...if you can't figure this out by reading the above text, then it is simply sad. Read the Astro Gaming page. I wonder why Tomsguide included their website, and not others.
About headsets and no G35
^Agreed, also what was the point with the stupid Zowie Hammer? Waste of time reviewing it, and not include Razer Megalodon? What about other price-performance headsets? This is a poorly done guide, plus the 5 categories are just bad. Convenience should not even be there that's for noobs, who can't connect wires?
Very disappointed.
Up considering the last headset is 250 bucks the Megalodon and G35 missing from the list seems a bit odd as they are only 150 and 130 bucks respectively
I'm pretty sure Astro Gaming bribed Tomsguide...if you can't figure this out by reading the above text, then it is simply sad. Read the Astro Gaming page. I wonder why Tomsguide included their website, and not others.
I included the Astro page because that's the only place you can buy their products. I did the same for the Tritton headset because its only available at Best Buy. The other four headset can be found at multiple retailers.
-Devin
About headsets and no G35
We reviewed the G35 and Megalodon a few months ago, that's why they weren't included this time...
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Surrou [...] 357-4.html
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Surrou [...] 357-5.html
...pretty easy to find. All you need to do is search "G35" or "Megalodon" on the front page and they are the first results, respectively.
I vote Turtle Beach EarForce HPA2. It has great sound quality, as well as full 5.1 ch surround sound. Comfort is pretty good too (the HPA1's weren't so comfy, but the HPA2's made a big improvement).
I think it's kind of silly that the only headsets that got strong points in sound quality were the ones that were compatible with consoles...USB sound is generally horrible. I don't put much faith into those reviews...
I vote Turtle Beach EarForce HPA2. It has great sound quality, as well as full 5.1 ch surround sound. Comfort is pretty good too (the HPA1's weren't so comfy, but the HPA2's made a big improvement).I think it's kind of silly that the only headsets that got strong points in sound quality were the ones that were compatible with consoles...USB sound is generally horrible. I don't put much faith into those reviews...
Neither of the console headsets use USB for sound, but rather for voice. The sound is via optical. Also, the Fatal1ty MKII got a 4/5 for sound, and it uses 3.5mm connectors.
-Devin
I would love to see you add to this review the Medussa 5.1 gaming headset.. it is a surround sound headset and should be matched up against this review..
I would love to see you add to this review the Medussa 5.1 gaming headset.. it is a surround sound headset and should be matched up against this review..
Speed-link is a great company when it comes to peripherals, but they aren't in the American market. The minute they set up shop here, we will review their products.
-Devin
for this article, wow is my word for the astro , thanks for the review, i like it very much, now i know what to buy, i seldom comment, but this one is a thumbs-up for tom's contributor Devin, more hands-on reviews like this please
I understand that they are not in the American market but since they can still be ordered and have been reviewed by other websites why would you not want to still do a review so that people that can attain them very easily can see a good comparison? I ordered mine a few years ago and paid about $110 and they were shipped from the UK. You can find them from sellers on ebay in the United States. I'm sorry Devin but I just do not feel that is a fair reason not to review them. I'm sure that when people do a search for gaming headset reviews they will come by this site and look at the list.. The larger your list the larger your review will appeal to the audience.. I happen to be one of many of these people in your audience.. The customer is always right
So honestly besides you stating that they are not in the American market, which technically they are since you can find them.. What would it take for you to review them to make a larger review list?
To comment to Tonitelaoag.. I agree with what you said and I would love to see others besides the Medussa 5.1's from Speedlink be reviewed. Search the comments and I this is one of my selected posts.
Thank you for your consideration in advance Devin
Aaron
I would have liked to see a review of the Turtle Beach HPX and the Sennheiser PC350 which are the main competition for the A40 headset at MLG events. Though, they all still use the Mixamp.
We reviewed the G35 and Megalodon a few months ago, that's why they weren't included this time...
Fair enough. But it would have been interesting to see where the G35 falls in between the ones tested this time.
No Plantronics? Wow, I love their headsets, mainly because they're cheap and have relatively good sound quality. And no Logitech either?
Oh well, it's still a well written review, just would have liked to see my favorites on there
@BlackDeath
Getting a headset imported does not make it a part of the American marketplace. Are Japanese-only DS games a part of the American marketplace because you can get them imported? No.
In order for us to review something, it needs to be sold by one or several North American-based retailers, or the company in question needs to have representation in the US. If you do a Google product search for "Speedlink Medusa", only one entry shows up, and it is an eBay listing.
Nothing against Speedlink, it's just a strict rule we have here @ Tom's. As soon as Speedlink breaks into the N.A. market, we will review their products.
-Devin
I have the complete Astro system (headset + mixamp) and it is simply amazing. Excellent sound, comfort and build quality. The clarity of the mic is something else. People always mention it. Also the mixamp is incredibly handy for Xbox Live because you can raise or lower the voice chat volume independently of the game volume instantly.
Grace
What's the best headset for pinpointing footsteps? any opinions?
I used to have a cheap $20 headset for 2 years until it broke. It was some no-name brand, but it was so awesome cuz it was so cheap. Sound would only come from 8 different directions, so by turning my player in a game, I could poinpoint where enemy footsteps were coming from.