Plantronics GameCom 780 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset Review

Most modern games come with some use of stereo sound, and games with higher budgets make use of Dolby Surround Sound to provide realistic experiences of being surrounded and FEELING the impact of what is going on around you. If you are using a pair of Apple earbuds in your gaming laptop … you are really missing out. I recently looked at another set of Dolby enhanced headphones, but to truly get the experience you needed entirely too many cables. Now we have a new headset from Plantronics that offers Dolby 7.1 surround … but only requires a USB connection!

The Hype:

The Plantronics GameCom 780 USB headset with Dolby® technologies transforms standard audio into a stunning 7.1 surround sound experience. The noise-canceling mic kills background noise so your commands are loud and clear. When you need to take a break, built-in spin joints let the earpods lay flat for easy storage. Need to adjust volume? No problem. The controls are right on the earpods so you’ll always have eyes on. The GameCom 780 is built to last with superhero-strength cords and joints; ultra-comfortable ear cushions and headband let you stay in the game for as long as it takes.

Dolby® Headphone and Pro Logic® IIx technologies transform standard audio into a stunning 7.1 surround sound experience
40mm speakers pound out deep bass and immersive stereo sound
Built-in spin-joints let the earpods lay flat for easy storage when you need to take a break
Noise-canceling mic kills background noise so your team or opponents can clearly hear your commands
Easy-to-reach on-ear volume and mute buttons let you adjust the sound and still keep a hand on the controls
Superhero-strength cords and joints mean this USB headset will be around for all your battles
Ultra-comfortable ear cushions and headband make the GameCom 780 perfect for gaming, and great for watching videos, listening to music, and making PC voice calls.

The Reality:

The technology behind getting a true surround experience from a basic headset is truly amazing, but the coolest thing is … it works. The Plantronics GameCom 780 delivers sound that wraps around your head and really makes you feel like you are surrounded in firefights with all of your favorite games.

To get started with the GameCom 780, understand that it is a USB audio system, which means it requires special Windows drivers provided on CD with the system. You need to install them, and then after restarting your PC you can simply plug-in and enjoy great sounding audio.

The system also features a noise canceling microphone that helps to isolate your voice from background noise. My general gaming environment is quiet, so this isn’t something I actually require, but to test it out my son and I played a bit of Modern Warfare 2 across our network, with him downstairs where my other son was making music … and I could hear him very clearly even though the dubstep was pounding to the point that I could hear it through the floor!

The GameCom 780 are over-the-ear headphones, so you have an immediate sense of sound isolation as your ears are encompassed. The sound system takes advantage of this to provide an amazingly detailed sonic experience. Placement in the stereo field is amazingly accurate as you move yourself around a game world. The frequency response is also quite amazing – listening to all sorts of music you experience crisp highs and detailed bass and excellent sound separation that belies the affordable pricing.

There are three controls: volume, microphone on/off and Dolby on/off. They are all self-explanatory and simple to access and use … but I don’t know why you’d ever turn the Dolby off unless you had issues.

These are not portable headphones, but they do lie flat by turning the earpieces to take up less space in a backpack or suitcase, which is a good feature. The microphone swivels out of the way, allowing you to mute the mic and use these strictly as headphones.

Also, I had promised to look at whether these worked with a Mac in the video:

I just plugged them in and they were immediately recognized … true ‘plug & play’!

Overall I was extremely impressed with the Plantronics GameCom 780 headset. It delivers everything promised – great sound, noise-canceling microphone, sound isolating comfortable earpieces, and stable sound drivers. And it does it at a very affordable price.

Here is a hands-on video – it is hard to get across the sound quality these things offer!:

Review: Plantronics GameCom 780 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset

Check them out here: Plantronics Headsets and Accessories.

Price: $79.99

What I Like: Great sound; simple Mac compatibility; microphone isolates voice from noise; easy controls; fold-down feature makes them more transportable

What Needs Improvement: Not really portable

Source: Publisher provided review unit