JBL Quantum 600 gaming headset test: encouraging first draft but not believable

Overall, Quantum 600 and more importantly Hope are relatively imposing. The latter has good travel and can withstand strong turns. This allows the braided cables and hinges to be rotated 90 inwards through the system. The whole helmet is covered with plastic shells which does not prevent us from looking pretty and it should stand the test of time without any problem.

On their exterior, the ear cups have each JBL logo illuminated by RGB lighting. The helmet also has the necessary memory foam pads covered with imitation leather, which can be clipped and replaced here. The entire bottom surface of the hoop is also made of the same material.

An inseparable Gooseneck microphone is attached to the left ear cup. Its comfortable base optimizes the placement of the microphone in front of the mouth. It can be completely folded back when not in use. Being a windshield is admirable, but it has an annoying tendency to slip.

When first used, Quantum 600 and Dongle Should be attached. To do this, hold down the button Dongle Also the switch used to turn the power on / off is under the right ear cup. After this little manipulation, the helmet finally works.

JBL’s headphones are out of control. All necessary controls are actually available directly on the left atrium. There is a required volume control dial – which is not synchronized with the PC volume – a very practical dial to maintain a balance between game / chat sound and a button to deactivate the microphone. The latter can also be deactivated when folded. The red light illuminates so the user can see at a glance if the microphone is turned off. When headphones are used passively through the mini-jack, the headphones’ controls and additional features no longer work, but the manufacturer still has a good idea of ​​integrating the remote control into the cable to control and turn off the volume. Microphone.

The JBL Quantum Engine application, which is only accessible on PC, is packed with instructions and configuration options, all translated into French. Need to configure various volume settings, remaining battery level, listening experience (10-band graphic EQ), RGB backlight, microphone input gain and return level on the helmet. It is also software that launches one of two virtualizations Around (DTS: Quantum Surround from X or JBL).

Given JBL’s promises and reputation, we expect the Quantum 600 to turn on sound reproduction quality, but unfortunately this is not the case.

In original settings‌s and passive use, the Quantum 600 chooses the most colorful and least harsh sound signature. Here the W-shaped profile of the headphones leaves a special place for low frequency encies, thus giving the rendering a very important and malicious look. The bass is really deep and the seat is solid, immersion is guaranteed at this level: explosions and other effects in the game are really correctly transcribed. However, the headphones are not really accurate at this level and there are no details in the bass rendering. When the scenery in this area is a little high, when the sources are numerous (instruments or other sound elements), they blend in and it is really difficult to separate them well.

Boss emphasis is not particularly on high power, especially on high-mids and especially fall-back of treble. Like many other helmets Gaming, The Quantum 600 operates on the existence zone (approximately 4 kHz), which has the effect of softening the sound reproduction and limiting hearing fatigue as much as possible. So you do not need to keep the headphones on your ears for long. However, at this level the action of the helmet is very straightforward, as it gives a particularly blunt, dull and tangled aspect to the overall restoration. What’s more, this behavior can also cause problems in the perception of space, as the roots are always visible at some distance, especially those that should be in the foreground.

Ensure the same: when the headset is used wirelessly and therefore powered, it is possible to reduce these errors to some extent with the equalizer in the application working in certain bands, especially 500 Hz and 4 kHz. In the presence, with clarity, and at the same time we can obtain a short definition by limiting the nasal angle of the tones.

For its first gaming headsets, JBL offered not one but two virtualization systems Around 7.1
First, JBL is based on quantum surround, an internal algorithm, but it is not reliable. In its “immersive” mode, the bass is clearly so prominent that the echoes that arise are unbearable. Of the other two modes proposed, the boss is fortunately intelligent, but the position of the objects is confusing due to the additional resonance effect added by the algorithm. Needless to say it also spoils the appreciation in any music content, whether in the game or not. To take the point home, we also identified several distortion issues.
The headset is also compatible with the DTS Headphone: X 2.0 system, which is slightly better controlled than quantum surround … but not enough to bring real interest in the game. We mostly like to do without it and stay in touch. Stereo to maintain a coordinated scene and to naturally identify existing sound objects.

The Quantum 600 provides quality voice capture when used wirelessly, and is also excellent when used with cable. In this first configuration, the signal was cut off by some part in the bass and treble, but it was clean and powerful. The timbre of the voice is well respected and its intelligence is always preserved. The tight directivity of the microphone allows it to distinguish voice from ambient noise even in the most noisy environment (in our second sound example, we can detect the sound of our television and our washing machine in almost the same room). Our voice always stands out well, even in the face of typing sounds on a mechanical keyboard.

In wired usage, there is nothing we can blame for the pickup quality of the microphone, which is very infallible in both power, balance, respect for tone and potential sensitivity to possives / hissing. Finally, it should be noted that in this usage case, the microphone return is not available on the headset.