Plantronics RIG 500E Gaming Headset Review

1. Introduction2. Unboxing and First Look3. Testing4. Conclusion5. View All Pages

Today we are taking a look at the new Plantronics RIG 500E which incorporates a dramatic modular system allowing the user to customise everything about the headset and to switch out specific components whenever desired.

The Plantronics RIG 500E is the eSports model in the range but it offers plenty of customisation options. You can switch out the ear cups, the headband and even the microphone. This means if you want a closed back headphone that isolates noise, you can do that but if you would prefer an open-back design with a bigger sound stage then that can also be achieved.

Features and Specifications:

• Modular system.
• Over-ear design.
• Dynamic 40mm drivers.
• Freq Response: 20Hz-20kHz.
• Impedance: 32ohms.
• In the box: Headset frame, self-adjusting headband, leather ear cups, fabric ear cups.
• Mic Freq Response: 100Hz-10kHz.
• Mic Uni-directional.
• Mic Sensitivity: -45dBV/Pa.
• Mic Signal to Noise: >42dB.

 

The packaging for the Plantronics RIG 500E is eye catching, shipping in a fairly bulky box with clear plastic on the front and a break down of features on the back.

 

While the packaging might be familiar, the actual unboxing is quite different. This is a modular headset, so you will be pulling the headset out in pieces, rather than fully built. Plantronics supply a headband with three slots to clip on the headphone ear cups/drivers.

 

You get two styles of headphone here, a closed off leather variant that will help isolate noise and perhaps even help enhance bass response a little. The second headphone comes with a fabric ear cup and a breathable design. The driver isn't completely closed off at the back either, which will help provide a wider sound stage at the expense of noise isolation.

Once it is all fully built, the RIG 500E looks like a pretty nice headset. Being able to choose between two styles of headphone is also a nice bonus that we don't normally see included. It is clear that Plantronics is trying to set itself apart from the crowd here.

However, while this headset is ‘modular', there aren't many options for further customisation available on the Plantronics store. The two styles of ear cup/headphone in the box are the only ones on sale and while you can get headbands in different colours, they all come in the same shape.

 

Elsewhere in the box you will find an aux cable and an in-line DOLBY controller, which activates virtual surround sound.

There is no software included with the Plantronics RIG 500E headset for adjusting the EQ or setting up any form of virtual surround sound so instead, I will kick off the testing by talking about comfort.

As noted in the unboxing portion of the review, this is a modular headset, which means you can switch out the ear cups. While a lot of people will appreciate the leather ear cups for their noise cancelling properties, I tend to gear towards the fabric ear cups, which have a slightly more open-back and breathable design. However, in either case, the ear cups are not uncomfortable to wear, though they are a little on the small side.

The headband for the headset is plastic and due to the ‘clip on' design used for the ear cups, there isn't a whole lot of room for adjustability, which may cause issues for some. However, in my experience, the Rig 500 was fine to wear.

So now that we have established that comfort isn’t a major issue, lets dive in to the sound quality. Like with almost every other budget headset we have tested, the Rig 500 does not come with any custom software so there is no additional tinkering to do beyond plugging it in but as far as technical specifications are concerned, the RIG 500E is reasonably impressive.

For game testing, I decided to play some rounds of Counter Strike: Global Offensive as well as The Division, two titles that feature quality sound design. Overall, the headset performed well and I was impressed with stereo panning performance as well as the Dolby virtual surround sound, which really helps in competitive shooters where listening out for footsteps and directional noise can be key. Given that this is an eSports-backed ESL headset, decent in-game performance shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

I would say that the 40mm drivers used here are well balanced but they do lack the punch that 50mm drivers would provide. They also start to struggle to maintain detail at higher volumes, which is worth taking into account.

As always, when talking about headsets, sound quality is just part of the battle. We also need to assess microphone quality. In order to test the microphone I hopped on a few Skype and Team Speak servers. Overall, the microphone performed surprisingly well. I found the noise cancellation to be effective even with a ceiling fan switched on in my room, which is normally picked up by most headsets.

Plantronics has tried to do something very different in the gaming headset market with the RIG 500 series. The unit we looked at today was the eSports model, which incorporate 40mm drivers, one style of headband and two styles of headphone, one being completely closed back and one featuring a more open-back design.

I must admit that I have never really thought about building my own headset but it is hard to argue with consumer choice. That said, due to the modular design, there isn't as much room for adjustability with the headband, you only have three static height options for the ear cups and there is very little tilt.

However, I found these headphones to feature a well-balanced sound though the 40mm drivers do struggle to maintain detail and fidelity at higher volumes. Perhaps larger 50mm drivers would help here but given that the Rig 500 is the entry level model here and targets a lower price point, I can see why Plantronics went the way it did.

The Plantronics Rig 500 is available for £75 on Amazon UK and £70 at Scan, so it will face some tough competition from more refined headsets, such as the Kingston HyperX Cloud series. However, if you have around £70 just waiting to be spent on a new headset, then the Plantronics RIG 500E is worth considering.

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Pros:

• Open and closed back headphones.
• Modular system is a neat idea.
• Decent microphone.

Cons:

• Headband doesn't offer much adjustability.
• 40mm drivers can struggle to maintain detail at high volumes.
• Tough competition in price bracket.

KitGuru Says: The Plantronics Rig 500 gives users a lot of choice in one package. However, that does involve some sacrifices. 

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