Review: Speedlink Medusa NX 5.1 Gaming Headset

As you may have seen on Geeksmack if you have been visiting us for a while, Speedlink is a Company not to be underestimated. The German Peripheral Giant makes products for all computing tastes and today well be looking at one of their most popular Gaming products: the Medusa NX 5.1 Gaming headset. This product is packed with useful features such as Noise Cancelling, a Foldable design and Bass vibration making it a very similar product to the Roccat Kave. Read on to find out why I gave this product a 4.5/5.

Packaging

The great thing about all Speedlink packaging is that it screams “Eye-catching” and “Informative”, and everyone knows that if you want a product to stand out, they are two very important things. On the front of the packaging is a few key features of the Medusa which include 5.1 Real Sound, Bass Vibration, Stereo Compatibility, Noise Cancelling, a 3.8M Cable, an Included 5.1 DVD Adapter and a USB Power Supply, some Review rewards and a actual size picture of the headset that flows into the real thing on the left side of the packaging. On the right side is a diagram of where the speakers are in the earcups of the headset and some more key features which include a Remote Control, some Programs Compatible with the Medusa such as Skype, Comfort Earcups, a Foldable design and a Teamspeak Certified logo. Finally, on the back of the packaging is all the key features on the front and the side, an explanation of the features in 16 different languages and all of the technical specifications and requirements which we’ll go further into in a second.

The Headset is easy to reach by pulling a box out of the packaging and pushing a tab to reveal the contents. Inside you will find a Documentation CD, a Quick Install Guide, a Speedlink Product catalogue and a small multilingual leaflet that explains the Limitation of liability, Avoiding ear damage and the Warranty. You will also find a Soft Bag, all the connections that allow you to Connect the headset to a Hi-Fi/DVD Player and the headset itself. If your wondering what it says on the front of the box, It says “Welcome to a new level of sound! your Speedlink Team” which I think is a nice touch.

Features and Specifications

From the Speedlink website, here is a description of the Medusa NX 5.1:

“Find yourself right at the centre of the action with this 5.1 surround headset: hear a door closing behind you to your left or listen to the footsteps of your opponent who’s in front of you. Plug the Medusa into the 5.1 soundcard on your PC or, using the phono adapter and mains adapter, into your DVD player. The comfortable earcups completely envelop the ears and ensure the headset sits perfectly on the head. Thanks to the flexible headband and padded earcups, the Medusa NX 5.1 Gaming Headset always remains comfortable on the head even after many hours.”

Also from the Speedlink website is a list of features:

• Real 5.1 gaming surround sound
• Real all-rounder – can be used with virtually all audio sources
• Brilliant voice transmission
• Highest level of comfort
• Adjust sound channels individually
• Collapsible headset including carry case
• 3.8m cable

Like the Fellow, there is no Specifications list on the Speedlink website so I have copied them off the box for you:

Impedance: Headset: 32? at 1kHz (F/R/C) 16k? at 1kHz (SUB) | Microphone:  2.2? at 1kHz

Sensitivity: Headset: 115dB at 1kHz (30mm SP) 120dB at 1kHz (40mm SP) | Microphone: -45dB at 1kHz

Frequency Response: Headset: 20Hz to 20kHz | Microphone: 100Hz to 16kHz

Cable Length: 3.8m

Microphone Pick-Up Pattern: unidirectional

System Requirements: Windows® 2000/XP/Windows Vista®/7 | 5.1 Soundcard | CD-ROM

Package Contains: Medusa NX 5.1 Gaming Headset | USB Power Plug | 5.1 Cinch Adapter | CD With Operation Manual | Quick Install Guide | Soft Bag

Prices*: £58/$89/€65

*Prices may vary

The Headset

Design is the first area we’ll cover on this headset. First of all you’ll notice the padded earcups. Although they don’t give the full covering of the ear that the Roccat Kave offers, I would say that they are slightly more comfortable as the whole headset itself is not as heavy. I would also say comfort is higher than the Kave because the top of the headset is a soft foam covered in a wrinkly material rather than the three plastic squares that give out the optimal weight distribution on the Kave. Also you will notice the strong hinges on the side of the headset that compliment the foldable design. This means you can fold both earcups onto each other and easily put the headset into the included soft bag. Although like I’ve said in the past I prefer the “Boom” style of microphone, the Medusa’s Microphone is still great looking and can be bent at any angle you like thanks to the very high flexibility of it.

The remote I would say on this headset is very basic, with all the 5.1 controls and an on and off switch. I do find it strange Speedlink haven’t included a microphone mute button, I thought that would be a requirement for most gamers. Onto sound quality now, and I have to say this is a brilliant all rounder. Any type of situation you throw at the Medusa is just throws it back at you in stunning quality. Although slightly too bassy on some music I’ve tried, I think all the ranges are at an optimal level and they maintain that high quality at any volume. Another great feature of this headset is that the bass doubles up as a vibration unit like on many 5.1 headsets. This allows you to have a realistic experience with supported games and movies, which really gives them that extra “wow” effect. If you want to skip using this headset on your PC altogether, you can thanks to Speedlink including all the adapters you need to plug the Medusa into your DVD player and experience 5.1 on that, which is just as good quality as on the PC as the headset uses no real driver, It just uses the USB to power it.

Tests

For the final time now in this series of headsets I will perform three tests on the Medusa. Like always, the First will be a Microphone Quality test where I will speak over a short clip of a game and comment on the quality of the microphone. The second test will be a 5.1 Surround Sound test which will involve me listening to the Roccat 5.1 Surround sound demo and commenting on how the headset performs. Finally, the Gaming Sound Quality test will consist of me playing a game that supports 5.1 and again commenting on the headset’s performance. Lets crack on then…

Microphone Quality Test:

In the video below, you will not only see me playing Call of Duty 4’s multiplayer really badly, but you will also hear me talking through the Medusa’s microphone. Whilst the video is playing you should be listening out for the headsets noise cancelling feature. You should know if this is working if all you hear is my voice and nothing else. Watch the video below and remember to select 720p:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzOY0zfyM9o

If you are wondering, Yes, that did say 0 kills 7 deaths. I was having a pretty bad day as you can tell. Anyway, that wasn’t what you were meant to be focusing on. From what I could hear there were a few small background noises such as my PC, but apart from that I can say this is a very decent microphone. The quality is near enough perfectly clear and you can be heard by your teammates easily when in the heat of the battle. A Pass here.

5.1 Surround Sound Test:

To test the Medusa’s 5.1 Capability, I decided to use the Roccat 5.1 Surround Sound demo to see if all the speakers were perfectly clear. Before I make my comments I have to say Roccat should seriously consider making a game out of this demo. Now, It comes apparent after about 30 seconds through that this headset really isn’t far behind the Kave at all. Every single channel could be heard in stunning quality and the Bassy vibrations added to the experience.

Gaming Sound Quality Test:

Finally, to test gaming sound quality on this headset, I will be using probably one of the biggest games this year, Battlefield: Bad Company 2. I set the sound in the options to “Headphones” and got playing. Not only was gameplay spectacular, but with 5.1 sound to compliment it, it was amazing. What made it especially amazing was the fact that alot goes on when you play Bad Company 2, buildings fall, bullets fly, engines run etc and not once did the Medusa Disappoint.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Stunning 5.1 Sound
• Noise cancelling, Flexible Microphone
• Comfortable, Foldable Design
• Bass Vibration
• Soft Bag
• DVD Adapters Included
• Great Quality

Cons:

• Remote is Very Basic
• Very rare, but Music ends up too Bassy sometimes

Conclusion

Again, Speedlink have shown off that they can have a very diverse set of products by proving as well as making a basic, casual gamers headset such as the Fellow, they can also create monster 5.1 Headsets such as the Medusa. Not only does this headset
look elegant, but the sound and microphone quality will not disappoint at all. This headset receives a 4.5/5 from me.

Thanks again as well to Steve Walsh of Meroncourt for supplying the Review samples, I still owe you that drink!