Zalman Headphones Review

Zalman Headphones Description:

Zalman's amazing 5.1 Surround Sound Ultimate Gaming Headphones provide real 3D sound field, competing with multi-channel speaker systems. This sound is achieved by creating 2 speaker channels in each of the headphones. The sound travels through 3 separate front and rear jacks that connect to your sound card in two separate places. The Zalman Headphones will give you enhanced localization of onscreen sound, clear dialogue hearing, better feeling on a discrete sound, and a much more realistic effect. The Zalman Headphones are a must for any LANner.

Zalman Headphones Specifications:

• Model: Zalman Headphones (ZM-RS6F)
• Unit Type: Electro Dynamic Round Type Micro Speaker
• Frequency Response: 50Hz ~ 20KHz (Extension Effective)
• Sound Pressure Level: 89 dB +/- 3 dB at 50mW
• Impedance: 16 Ohm at 1KHz
• Maximum Power: 0.15W
• Weight: 11.24oz (316.8g) without packaging
• Cord: Straight, Triple entry 9.8ft (300cm)
• Plug: 3 headphone jacks ( 3.5mm)

Zalman Headphones Use and Testing:

Now, after receiving the Zalman Headphones I was very happy to finally have a full surround sound feel to my gaming, music, and general needs. One thing I found out quickly is that you must have a 5.1 supported audio card, with out one you would have to buy the Zalman external 5.1 sound card.

At first these headphones come in an encrypted shape. For the size of these, it is amazing they can fold up the way they do, but it is a nice feature. On the top of these headphones are three connectors that consist of front, middle, and rear which is where you are able to plug in your cables from the computer to your headphones. At this point I noticed that the wires that connect the two is pretty long. Which is good if you have a lot of computer stuff in the way between you and your computer, but with a user that has to be clean and organize they will be very irritated by the length of this cord. Another nice feature that is added is the use of gold plated connecters, to make sure to connect well. One major problem I saw right away was there was no volume control at all on these headphones, what were they thinking? This is a very big inconvenience.

Now let’s get down to the main topic, the sound. As an audiophile I am sure you have to have the most extreme sound to comfort your needs, right? This is why people spend so much on their personal speakers and audio equipment. I mean why would you spend the money on a new game or CD if you do not intend to listen to it without perfect sound? So why share that experience with everyone else around you when using your 5.1 speakers, be selfish and keep it all to your self with the use of these Zalman 5.1 headphones. With the use of these headphones you will be able to get lost in your fantasy land of video games while blocking all the sound from the outside out.

After setting them around my head and ears for the first time, the comfy cushion the ear chambers hold are extremely nice. We all have had those headphones that just hurt to put on, and get worse as time goes by when wearing them. With the Zalman’s you will be able to wear these with complete comfort while keeping the outside noise completely out. Another important value I look for in headphones is the setting ability on how tight or loose the headphones can get. I am pleased to say that these headphones fit very snuggly on my head; I have always hated how headphones slip off my head even on the tightest setting. With the quality that these headphones posses in this feature really makes me happy has a consumer, and a daily user. As a gamer you will be also pleased to know that with this comfort but snug fit, you will not be taking these headphones off after a few hours of gaming because of pain, or the headache it has caused you. Also they have a grip that you wouldn’t believe, every wish you could head bang to your favorite song, in the heat with some headphones on? Ok well maybe not in the heat, but even with someone sweating and moving their head in a “banging” motion, the headphones will not slip off because of the grip it had around the top of the ear cushions. The only complaint on the padding is the amount that is used for the top “bar” that connects the two speakers together. As everything else is fine in wearing for long exposures, the top of your head will begin to feel more pressure to take off the headphones, which is a bummer considering that the rest of the padding is great!

As for the 5.1 sound, each ear piece has three speakers in it that consist of a front, middle, and rear. I first tested these headphones with some games, of course most games at the moment can not produce true 5.1 sounds, but some games such as Doom 3 do. If you thought that game was creepy with your little headphones, imagine what it sounds like when you are actually hearing all the sounds at 360 degrees! You will never play that game the same in fear of messing your pants. With the true sound these headphones can produce really makes the feeling of the “in-game” experience a true one. I have also noticed that in FPS such as Counter-Strike I have seen an improvement in gaming because of the ability to hear more around the environment which of course makes your game better because you’re able to hear what’s going around you.

Now with using these headphones with just normal general computer needs such as surfing the web, music, and movie watching on the computer, these headphones lack in that oomph it has for gaming. The main reason is that it has little to no bass; no banging or thumping is going to happen with these headphones on. This was a big loss to these already great headphones because with out the “all-around” sound that these are supposed to do, with no bass really makes it lose a lot of points. This of course is when listening to music with a lot of bass; if you are not a fan of the bass, then you should not worry about this feature at all.

During movies, the sound is quiet good. It is better than how the headphones treat music, but not as good as it treats video games. The sound within movies does sound great because you ARE getting a 5.1 surround sound feel in some headphones, which is a great thing to have when you travel, share a room, or just want time to yourself.

In concluding to this review of the Zalman 5.1 Headphones, I would recommend these to the gamer of all ages, and to the movie buff that loves to watch movies in peace. I would not personally get these for music loving audiophiles based that it does not have much of a bass at all, but it does work for the use of listening to music in a “non-audiophile” way. The main hitter is for the video game players, where these headphones can give you full feel of being inside the game, while increasing your skills as you are able to “hear” your pray more closely and efficiently. The pros over power the cons in a considerable amount, which within any situation is a great thing. As the price keeps dropping on these headphones, do yourself a favor and pick these up.

Pros:

• REAL 5.1 sound
• Compact for size
• Sound for games and movies
• Comfortable
• Sizing fits snuggly
• Gold plated jacks
• Affordable

Cons:

• Length of cord
• No bass
• No volume control!