Artemis Spectrum G633, this is the playmate that we at WelcomeGaming.com have been able to try thanks to Logitech that has made available this brand new wired headset designed and built for gaming. The Artemis Spectrum are part of the Logitech G line specializing in gaming peripherals, and are the younger sisters of the G933 which in addition to having the features that we will see below are also completely wireless. Let's see how our test went.
EVEN THE EYE WANTS ITS PART
Upon opening the package, well sealed and sturdy, essential content: headphones and two cables, one micro usb - usb to attach the headset to the PC, the other 3,5 -3,5 to connect the headset to any device. The latter cable also has a remote control on the wire that allows you to use the device as a simple headset or as headphones and microphone and to change the microphone itself in the second case. Let's clarify one thing immediately: the 3,5 - 3,5 connection therefore does not allow you to hear the audio in 7.1. We will explore the reasons that led to this situation in the next paragraph. The double connection, via USB and with a normal 3,5 jack, reveals a really convenient function of these headphones: the possibility of keeping both the console or the computer and the mobile phone connected at the same time, to answer a phone call when in game.
Moving on to the structure of the headset: robust, versatile to hold in the hand and much lighter than one might expect. The only flaw: made entirely of plastic; it would be nice to be able to see more refined materials or inserts in high-end headsets like this. After this first impact, the part in contact with the ear is completely breathable and very comfortable. We must say that wearing them, these headphones give a very pleasant feeling. The part that covers the headphone part is removable because it can be replaced with customized covers. There are three programmable keys next to the ear lock, the mute key and volume. The programmable keys work only on PCs and allow you to switch from one audio profile to another easily rather than create equalization combinations.
The headphone block is finely surrounded by a multi-colored illuminated LED part: the quality and brightness of the multi-color LED currently has no competitors on the market. This is perhaps the best done part of the whole headset and it really gave us great satisfaction.
AUDIO AND ACOUSTICS
Once we put on the Artemis Spectrum 633, even without yet having any audio in the headphones, the acoustic isolation they offered us from the outside was evident. The part in contact with the ear perfectly embraces the auricles and is easily adjustable to the size of the head. However, it cannot be said that the sound insulation of these headphones also works in reverse: whether we were playing or listening to music or in call, the people close to us were able to hear all we were doing too much. Having overcome this obstacle, and starting to use the headset for what it was programmed for, the result was truly impressive. We connected the headphones to the PC via USB and installed the Logitech Gaming Software that allows the management of 7.1 audio; with several HD sound tests we found ourselves listening to an almost excellent reproduction of the classic 7-channel system plus home subwoofer, especially as regards gaming. In fact, these headphones give their best with game audio, with music they struggle a little on the bass.
As we mentioned in the previous paragraph, however, this excellent audio result can only be obtained on a PC and only by installing the Logitech Gaming Software that will manage the multichannel sound. It is therefore not possible to play the playstation 4, xbox one, mobile phone or any other device thinking of listening to a 7.1 system with headphones, because what we will hear will be a good, but simple, stereo as happens in most headsets of this category. In particular on the playstation 4, the second theater of our test, it was possible to connect the G633 both via USB cable (the supplied cable is very long for this reason) and with the 3,5 jack that we find on the controller. The convenience of attaching it directly to the console's usb lies in the fact that with the 3,5 cable we can also be connected to the mobile phone at the same time so as to answer calls without absolutely having to stop playing or making particular movements. The headphones are in fact able to expertly mix the two audio sources, managing the call in priority when it is active and returning to normal audio as soon as it is finished. Forget, however, the LED lighting on the consoles: this feature also needs the Logitech gaming software to work; it can therefore only be used on the PC with the software installed.
LOGITECH GAMING SOFTWARE
Using headphones on a PC and downloading the Logitech Gaming Software is a must in order to fully use the special functions designed by Logitech for this device. The software weighing about 90 Mb, allows you to manage various aspects of our device, first of all the programming of the three G keys. These can be associated with audio profiles, video profiles or any key on your keyboard or mouse. They therefore function in all respects like Macros. Another fundamental aspect for those who love to play with music is the ability to "play" with an advanced equalizer and save the profiles to activate them later at the right time. It is also possible to program all the light effects that our headphones will create while we are using them: single color for both sides of the head or personalized light games: the choice is wide and can be memorized, programmable, reproducible at any time of your use . Last, but perhaps most important, the screen that allows us to create and customize audio profiles. It is possible to keep DTS activated for automatic sound or to personalize each audio channel “speaker by speaker” and thus create various profiles to be used according to the game. A very wide possibility of customization, which nevertheless facilitates the way for those who do not want to waste a lot of time behind the settings by offering both pre-loaded profiles and audio management both through the DTS multi-channel coding system.
MICROPHONE
The Artemis Spectrum are equipped with a retractable foldable and extractable microphone, placed without obstruction on the left side of the mouth. The microphone audio test was done both during a skype call and with audacity. In both cases the sound was very clean and the background noises non-existent. Definitely a good result as regards the microphone compartment of the Artemis Spectrum G633 headset. Also great for audio dubbing, with noise canceling doing its job well.
COMMENTS
The selling price of these headphones is around 170 euros, with the usual española top-up. On the amazon.com site it is on sale for $ 149. In its market segment (Gaming Headset) the Artemis Spectrum have few rivals both in terms of aesthetics and audio quality for gaming.
