Okay Geek Farm
Plantronics GameCom 377 gaming headset review
Jason Tsay
Features
- Open-ear design for team play
- Concealed noise-canceling mic boom
- Comfortable earpod design
- In-line volume controls
- Well-marked mic-mute button
- Military-grade, extra-strength cables
Our Impressions
The GameCom 377 comes packaged in a large blister pack alongside some manuals. Nothing fancy on the packaging front but it’s what’s inside that matters.
In terms of appearance, the 377 looks very boxy and ruggedized. Each earcup is a massive square with a good amount of foam padding. Each earcup has a sort of red mesh design that lets sound in and out. The headband is rather large and is also well padded. GAMECOM and PLANTONICS are embossed on both sides of the band. The microphone is concealed inside the headband on the left side and swings out conveniently when you need it. It is slightly flexible but not bendable (as in, it won’t stay in that position). The cord is a very heavy duty one with a striated texture. One of our favorite features of the headset actually lies on the cord - the control pod. About the size of a chicken nugget, the module features an iPod style dial (it actually rotates physically though) as well as a microphone on/off switch. Markings are made on the wheel so that you can precisely adjust the volume. While a bit bulkier than volume adjusting pods on other headsets, it worked extremely well in actual use. Overall, I’d say build quality on the 377 is pretty darn good. It’s not priced in the premium range but more than holds its weight
The large rectangular shape of the headset originally created the impression that our gaming session would be somewhat uncomfortable. However, we didn’t find it to be too bad at all. The only problem that we had with comfort is that the headset does clamp down with a fair amount of force. This prevents the headset from falling off but also causes some discomfort if worn for long periods of time. However, it appears as if the headset will become looser with age so that’s something to consider.
Audio quality was well above average; we decided to use the headset for a fair amount of music listening and concluded that they are a damn good pair od headphones as well. Bass was nice and punchy while vocals and highs were not drowned out at all. From there we moved on to gaming. In Team Fortress 2, the heavy’s minigun fired off rounds melodically and team mates’ insults were loud and clear. Microphone quality was actually exceptionally good and just about on par with the SteelSeries 7H USB we reviewed a while back. The actual mic seemed to be a bit short but picked up our voices just fine.
Overall
The Plantronics GameCom 377 is a great gaming headset at an affordable price. Although it is a bit tight on the head, it’s well padded and sounds great. Being quite durable, it’ll last you some time and did we mention the control pod? It’s one of the best we’ve used. When you think of gaming headsets, Plantronincs doesn’t instantly come to mind; it sure is a shame more gamers aren’t using their products!
Pro’s
- great sound
- pretty durable
Con’s
- too tight
Where to buy
Plantronics / Amazon — MSRP: $49.99
This review was done by Jason Tsay, who was provided the GameCom 377 by Plantronics.
