The Logitech G35 is a PC-compatible headset that promises 7.1-channel surround sound. However, the surround sound offered here is so subtle it’s hardly noticeable in anything but games with the option for 7.1-channel speakers. And even then your mileage may vary. That alone may not warrant the $79.99 price, but the G35 offers decent sound and smart design choices like a convenient microphone and built-in headset controls.
Actually, everything on the left ear cup is the best thing about this headset. The left can houses three customizable buttons, a mute button, as well as a large volume dial. The right side of the cup also has a “surround sound” slider switch on there. These are easy to access and all great to have, especially the volume dial and the mute button. You can customize the three buttons for playback of certain music software or to select options for voice masking. You can program those buttons by using the accompanying software. The left side of the cup is also where the flip-down microphone resides. It has a red light on it that shows you whether it’s muted or not, plus you can flip up the mic out of the way to mute it. Very convenient.
The headband needed some adjusting to fit my big melon. To accommodate the big-skulled among us it comes with two other swappable headbands that you can pull off and on via velcro. I swapped the default one out for the bigger band but the process made the headset feel cheap and flimsy. I had to squeeze the thing in there to make it fit and even then it still felt too squished. Not very elegant. After some hours of use it finally molded in there and looked like it belonged. After many hours though the weight of the headset will be apparent. Taking them off is always a relief, like re-entering the real world. But hey, the USB cord is made of very well-made fiber material.
To test the sound I watched large chunks of movies like Drive, Blade Runner, Speed Racer and TRON Legacy – movies very dependent on their scores and sound design — and noticed they all sounded great. I don’t think that’s due to the headset though, as I didn’t notice that much of a difference between this “surround sound”-enabled one and any other headset. I was still just hearing left, right and center channels. It sounds cool when the flying Recognizers from TRON float from one ear to the other, but beyond that, I wasn’t blown away.
The Logitech G35 improved my gaming only a little bit. I did notice a slight difference between regular stereo and 7.1 in games that support 7.1-channel speakers like Left 4 Dead 2, which requires careful attention to the distinct sounds of enemies. I could hear Jockeys, Smokers and ambient sound like crackling fire clearer than I could before, but not by much. Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike: Source offered a similar subtle change though I didn’t hear footsteps or anything “behind” me while playing competitively, so this most likely won’t improve your kill-death ratio. Games like Mirror’s Edge and Max Payne 3, games that don’t support more than stereo, sounded like they always have.
There is good isolation from room sound though. Roommates, spouses or siblings will be safe from your fragging, watching or listening while you wear this. The noise-canceling mic works well as it never picked up the sound of my fan or any noises of nature outside my nearby window while recording my voice. The voice morphing works too, as I managed to spook a few of my podcast mates on Skype with the alien preset.
The Logitech G35 is not a bad headset — the microphone alone makes it worthwhile for me — but I wish the surround sound effect was much more prominent. The change is so slight it’s barely noticeable. For better surround sound, you may to want to look elsewhere.
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You can buy the Logitech G35 7.1-Channel Surround Sound Headset