A combination of Plantronics and Polycom seems like a match made in heaven for gamers, particularly as the two companies have come together to form Poly and provide a range of new headsets to the world – the RIG range. And in the RIG 500 PRO HX, they’ve created a headset which includes pretty much everything you could wish for – provided you’re happy to run the wired route.
The RIG 500 PRO HX for Xbox One does as the name suggests, taking what the pros want from a gaming headset to deliver an ultralight frame with fully self-adjusting headband, isolating earcups, a flexible, detachable, boom mic and 50mm low distortion drivers. But in and amongst all that, the RIG 500 PRO HX also drops Dolby Atmos goodness in for good measure, and my word this elevates them up and beyond many other headsets.
We have to start with the audio quality that the 500 provides, and once you’ve installed the Dolby Atmos App on your Xbox One you will discover sounds like nothing you’ve heard before. Gunshots fire all around you in the biggest shooters, engines rev from all directions in every racing game, and you’ll find yourself becoming immersed like never before when the 500 PRO HX is attached to your head. And thanks to the 50mm drivers the sound is crisp, utterly clear and can be notched up to be as loud as you want too – with absolutely no sign of muffle, distortion or hiss. I’ve been using the RIG headsets for a little while now and have switched in and out of the 400 series, the 700 HX, and the 800 LX all while spending time with this 500 PRO HX, and I’d be quite happy to recommend any of them to any buyer. But if you’re happy with a single wire and want Dolby Atmos then this is the headset for you.
The wired nature of the 500 PRO HX draws out of the left earcup, with a detachable cable which then connects to the 3.5mm jack on your Xbox One controller, with a game audio dial housed right at the very end. This does of course mean you need a newer style controller in order to be able to utilise this headset, and those older ones without the 3.5mm port will be of no use, but the vast majority of Xbox One gamers should have a compatible controller to hand. It is however the game audio dial which is a superb addition to this wired headset, gifting you the opportunity to turn the main volume up and down with utter ease – all without needing to remove your hands from your controller. I have to admit to being a little sceptical about this at first, concerned that it would be too easy to accidentally adjust the volume whilst in the heat of a gaming session, but in reality it works brilliantly.
My only wish is that this dial had some form of mute button or notch allowing you to take in a little physical feedback whilst raising and lowering the volume. Instead the mute is left to the flip-up noise-cancelling mic. Again detachable, the flexible mic allows for clear and precise game chat between players, or party chat between a group of friends without hassle. Much like the other RIG headsets, you’ll have nothing but praise for the chat options too, with cooperative players the other end of your chat more than approving what it delivers.
It’s not just your friends who will like what the 500 PRO HX provides though and the wearer themselves will be more than happy with taking this into each and every gaming session going forward. With a stupidly lightweight plastic headband bringing everything together in a 259g package, the standard RIG pop-in/pop-out adjusting system and an additional padded self-adjusting inner band, the 500 PRO HX is extremely comfortable to wear, both for the quickest of matches and the longest of sessions. In fact, I’ve sat using this headset for upwards of 6 hours at any one time and not once did it ever feel uncomfortable in use.
It helps massively that the earcups are extremely well-padded too, and with a dual-material cushioning, this big RIG has obviously had much love put in to its design. With them housing the 50mm low distortion drivers, and the overall headset perfectly understated in terms of an all black, gold detailed visual design, you’ll love what you find here with the RIG 500 PRO HX Special Edition Headset for Xbox One. Especially since the MSRP is just £69.99.
Quite frankly, that is a crazy low price for a headset that delivers so much.
Huge thanks go out to Poly for providing us with a review unit of the RIG 500 PRO HX Headset for Xbox One. Should you wish to pick up this headset for yourself then you should be found paying the Plantronics site a visit.
Related: Unboxing the RIG 500 PRO HX Headset for Xbox One