I wouldn’t class myself as an audiophile but I do like good looking, good fitting, good sounding headphones. In fact, back in the day, one of my very first wage packets was blown on a pair of Sennheiser’s finest, leading to a love affair with the brand that has lasted decades; since that time I’ve gone through multiple products – on-ear, in-ear, over-ear, wired and wireless. And the vast majority of those have come from the German geniuses at Sennheiser. So given the opportunity to check out a Sennheiser product that works brilliantly with Xbox One was always going to be something that would get my juices flowing, and after the demerging of Sennheiser and their gaming arm into what would become EPOS, comes the EPOS | SENNHEISER GSP 602 headset. For a wired headset, it’s utterly glorious.
The EPOS | SENNHEISER GSP 602 headset is just one specific product from the EPOS | SENNHEISER 600 range, with the range opener – the 600 itself – coming with a stylish red and black design, whilst the 601 mixes and matches the black with white. In my eyes though it is the GSP 602 which stands out from the rest, going old-school to deliver a deep dark blue that is well complemented by some gorgeously cushioned tan cups. It’s this colourway that really shows the 600 range off to the best of its ability, building on the chunky, almost mechanical looking design, in a superb way.
Running at a price point of £199, the EPOS | SENNHEISER GSP 602 headset is not cheap, but that is pretty much to be expected from a brand that has sewn themselves into the fabric of the audio scene. But thankfully, it looks, feels and sounds good enough to warrant that price tag.
It must be said though that the GSP 602 is fairly limited on the features front. In fact, this is a headset that has done away with any fancy gimmicks to just deliver a solid sounding, well-rounded, audio experience to the user – pretty much as you would expect from Sennheiser. There are no fiddly buttons to accidentally hit whilst you’re in the middle of an intense game of Apex Legends, and there are no dodgy end-of-cable nodules that need to be precisely placed when hooning it about in Forza Horizon 4. This is a simple headset, that not only provides the basics that you require of a gaming headset, but also allows you to take that gaming cross-platform and over to the mobile scene.
In fact, this is probably the simplest gaming headset that I’ve used in a while, and once you’ve plugged the 3.5mm jack end into the headset – and this is a super-tight fit so it won’t be coming out again in a hurry – and the other end into your device of choice – Xbox One controller, laptop or mobile device for the most part here – you are left with Sennheiser’s finest sounds piling towards your ears. It’s brilliant sound too; not too deep in bass and full of just the right mids and highs. No matter what game I’ve been playing and no matter which style of music I’ve been listening to, this has delivered what is asked with not a hint of crackle, distortion or muffle.
Volume control is dictated by a twirl of an external dial on the right ear cup and, should you wish it to, the GSP 602 can get seriously loud. Perhaps too loud for my liking, but if you wish to go beyond what is probably suitable for your ears, this’ll let you do it and then some. Further to that, party and in-game chat is provided by the astonishingly robust, over-sized, flip-to-mute mic – and, seriously, this solid affair puts other manufacturers’ efforts into the dust. Again it all sounds great there as well with friends and colleagues more than happy with the communication aspect. It’s just all so easy to use too – this is a headset that really does define the whole plug-and-play ideology without the need for any real fanciness.
Although, I tell a very small lie, because the EPOS | SENNHEISER GSP 602 headset does come with one rather clever, although entirely unnecessary, feature – and that centres around the fitting of the headband. Fully adjustable across both earcups, expanding and contracting to fit any size of head, much of the audio magic that the GSP 602 delivers is found via the tight fit it brings. And that fit can be dialled in nicely due to a couple of weird little sliders on the top of the headband. I’m not really sure how these work, and I’m pretty certain that I could do without them, but moving them left and right defines an additional tweak of fit, tightening over your head as you wear them. This, when combined with the already excellent sound quality and closed backs of the GSP 602, ensures that sound leakage is kept at an absolute minimum. Yes, turn things up to as far as the volume dial will go and a bit will creep out, but in return the power it sends into your ears will ensure you’ll not hear a single external sound. But keep it rolling at a reasonable volume, and for the most part those around you won’t have to put up with even the tiniest bit of leakage. Kudos to EPOS | SENNHEISER for creating a product that really does immerse you in the task at hand.
Props have to be given for the comfort of this headset too. The headband – with its fancy sliders – is well-padded, and the leatherette and cloth cups create a seal that will mean you can wear these for hours at a time with absolutely no discomfort coming to the fore. Granted, that seal may not be for all – I’ve had others complain that the fit is too pressured – but I love the fact that wearing the GSP 602 will let me zone out from the real-world, powering along with either games, or music, in my own little bubble.
That whole wired route that the GSP 602 takes may not be for some either, but I’m too long in the tooth to let a single 3.5mm jack ruin my day. Yes, there isn’t quite the flexibility of a wireless headset for when you are gaming, but the braided cable is a good one, and the fit both into the headset itself and into the device of your choosing is on point. If you can’t be bothered with charging headsets, or just want the flexibility to take one product to all of your devices, the EPOS | SENNHEISER GSP 602 headset is the one to consider. And that consideration becomes altogether higher if sound quality and fit are a prime component of your headset choosing life.
Whilst it may seem a high price to pay for a headset that on the face of it does without any clever gimmicks, the build quality, sound quality and fitting ensure that EPOS | SENNHEISER have brought a top-notch wired headset to market with the GSP 602. If you’re a fan of the brand and don’t fancy cutting the cable just yet, this is a gaming headset to seriously consider purchasing.
Massive thanks go out to EPOS | SENNHEISER for providing the GSP 602 headset for unboxing and review. If you wish to pick the headset up for yourself, hit them up direct.
Related: EPOS | SENNHEISER GSP 602 Headset – Unboxing and First Look
