Others by stefan @ 2013-01-30
The new Flux Luxury Edition Gaming Headset from SteelSeries was built for mobility in mind, comes with two separate connectivity cables, a carry pouch and interchangeable covers. The Flux is easy to adjust thanks to the FluidFIT headband and produces a high quality sound even in movies or games, even if it is marketed mainly for gaming purposes.
At first I would like to thank SteelSeries for offering the Flux Luxury Edition Gaming Headset for testing and reviewing.
"From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making high performance gaming gear used by the most demanding, top professional gamers worldwide and peripherals that provide superior quality and a competitive edge to gamers of all skill levels. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying!
What originally began with two people who recognized the need for superior, high-quality/performance gaming gear that would give gamers a competitive edge, has grown into a global leader in gaming and entertainment gear sought after for their high performance capabilities.
Fast-forward to today, and we’ve come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!
While we are proud of our technology and product innovation, we are even more excited about how these products are developed to meet the needs of gamers. Many companies may claim to develop superior gaming products but few actually do. Instead, they spend countless hours with lab engineers trying to force fit a new technology with bells and whistles and mediocre functionality for the end-user.
At SteelSeries, we develop our products with a small internal team and a vast network of technology partners, channel partners, game publishers, and gaming communities around the globe. We aren’t afraid of being challenged and implementing new ideas. Our main goal is to always to listen to the collective feedback of our professional gaming community.
We won’t bore you with cheeky slogans, trying to underline our authenticity as gamers. We fully acknowledge that the best professional gamers in the world know more about what they want and what will make them better, than we do. We are proud to be working with our partners, but we can’t take credit for their invaluable input and feedback. Instead we tell it like it is: they help us. We want to know what works and what doesn’t. For this reason, SteelSeries creates innovative solutions that provide a competitive advantage for all gamers.
Critical to our company’s success is also our reinvestment in the gaming communities and the individuals who support them. As a result, our corporate philosophy is to take a substantial portion of our revenue and put it back into the gaming community to help spur industry growth. We support our community in numerous ways, ranging from co-hosting tournaments like Iron Lady and King of the Hill, and supporting gaming competitions of all sizes, to promoting the top and up-and-coming gaming teams/organizations.
Put simply, SteelSeries does not claim to invent or reinvent the gaming industry. Nor do we focus on one specific product, copy other companies or follow the crowd.
Instead we leave it to you, the gamer, our customer/partner/inspiration, to decide if we are deserving of such declarations and accolades. What we do promise, however, is to remain committed to you. We will continue to work with you and the gaming community to make the best products possible and give you that competitive edge. We will continue to do our best to support the growth of the professional gaming industry and give back to the gaming communities. By doing so, we don’t just talk a good game, we win!"
FLUX LUXURY EDITION
Preconfigured in a SteelSeries black and orange design, the Flux Luxury Edition is the SteelSeries Flux enhanced. Consisting of a black base headset, special edition silver side plates, orange swappable mobile/Mac® & PC cables, and premium leather ear cushions, we even included an extra set of glossy black sideplates for the all black look. Finally, we added a carrying case to stow and protect it all.
FLUX YOURSELF. IN STYLE.
By definition, the word flux is change, mutability, rate of transport and more. By manifestation, the SteelSeries Flux is the most customizable and versatile headset we have ever developed.
The Flux is designed to go everywhere and anywhere you want to go. The design allows for a high quality audio experience whether you are on the train, competing at gaming tournaments, at the office, or kicking back at home.
Mobility. In full force.
Powered by 40mm drivers, the Flux has the acoustic intensity you have come to expect from SteelSeries audio. Whether gaming, listening to music or watching movies, you are guaranteed an incredible audio experience.
We strive to build headsets to be both an awesome for gaming as well as a powerful headset for music, applications and VoIP, the Flux was tested and perfected by gaming professionals and musicians to achieve great sound for all ears.
PREMIUM LEATHER EAR CUSHIONS
Included in the Luxury Edition are a set of premium leather ear cushions. Leather not only provides a luxurious style but also a comfortable feel and excellent sound isolation.
Side Plates
Each ear cup features a removable side plate that can be swapped with any of the various colors and designs available.
Flux it all.
Flux can be customized to match your mood, style and personality. By simply swapping interchangeable parts in various colors and designs, a single headset can become many and a simple headset can become part of your ever-evolving lifestyle.
You can further customize your Flux Luxury Edition by visiting our webshop where we feature additional cables and cushions in a variety of colors and side plates in different designs and colors. Check it out at our shop.
Home or on-the-go via Detachable Cable System
Whether you are at home or on-the-go you can enjoy a superior audio experience thanks to the versatility of multiple detachable cables.
PC Cable
A PC cable features an in-line, omni-directional mic with a sliding mute switch that connects to your PC via two 3.5mm jacks.
Mobile and Mac® Cable
The Flux Luxury Edition also comes with a mobile/Mac® cable that features an in-line, omni-directional mic and control button. The mobile/Mac® cable connects to your mobile device or Mac® via a single 3.5mm jack..
Inline Microphone & Controls
The omni-directional microphone can be found right on the cord with convenient in-line control. The PC cable features a microphone mute switch to control what others hear from you. The mobile/Mac® cable features a single button to answer/end calls, skip tracks and pause/resume playback of your media.
Share your sound
With 2 input jacks, one on each earcup, you can choose which side the microphone cable can be plugged into. The remaining input jack can be used to share your sound by simply plugging another headset into the Flux so multiple users can listen to the same device.
Ready For Transport
Designed for maximum portability, the Flux can fold up neatly in a couple of convenient ways. The headset can foldup towards the band. In addition, each earcup can be rotated to fold the headset flat for easy storage or to comfortably show it off around your neck.
Headphones
Frequency response: 18 – 28000 Hz
Impedance: 29 Ohm
SPL@ 1kHz, 1 Vrms: 118 dB
Cable length: 1.2 m + 2 m = 3.2m
Jacks: 3.5 mm
Microphone
Frequency response: 50 – 16000 Hz
Pick up pattern: Omni-directional
Sensitivity: -38 dB
In this review we will look upon another headset from SteelSeries, which sports quite some unique features and an interesting presentation of the packaging. The headset is shipped inside a rather small plastic enclosure, with a transparent window on top, so we could see how the product does look like before unsealing the box:
On the sides, we can find more details regarding the product, including the technical specifications:
On the bottom side of the box we will find a large SteelSeries emblem:
By lifting removing the top cover, we will see that the space is carefully utilized inside:
Besides the headset, we will also find inside a small carry pouch, a cable extension, two replaceable lateral covers and the documentation:
The connectivity cables are very flexible and have a rubber finish; SteelSeries has supplied two, one for PCs and one for mobile devices like tablets, mobile phones:
The cable which is meant for mobile devices has on one end an L-shaped jack plug and the other side has a regular jack plug:
On the wire we will find a small microphone, with a MIC mute button on the back:
The PC cable is different, which means we get two jack plugs for connecting to the sound card, the other end being identical:
The microphone is a little different here, comes with a larger chassis and has a different Mute mechanism; instead of pressing a button, we can slide the top cover up or down:
The extension cable is also meant for PC use and sports the same two mic/headset jacks:
This is the second on-ear headset that we’re reviewing, the first one being the one from Arctic which was quite uncomfortable for people wearing glasses. The ear cushions are made from black premium leather:
The headband is made from a soft rubber material which can be bent with ease with our hands; SteelSeries likes to call it FluidFIT and has designed it for loosening or tightening the headset on our head:
On each side of the headband we will see the plastic hinges:
On the back side of the cups we will find the replaceable covers, the second set being all-black:
When taking a closer look, we will see that the headset comes not with one but with two jacks; with the two input jacks, we have the benefit of choosing which side the microphone cable can be plugged into and the remaining jack can be used for sound sharing by simply plugging another headset into the Flux so multiple users can listen to the same audio content:
On the exterior of the headset, each side will also contain a white SteelSeries logo:
The headset body can also extend in small steps:
On the inside again, we will be able to find the letters “L” for left, “R” for right, in order to match the channels correctly:
Here is another look of the exterior FluidFIT headband:
Besides the Quick Start Guide, we will also find some words regarding warranty, a SteelSeries sticker, one product catalog and some instructions on how NOT to plug in the headset:
Inside the guide we will find all necessary info in order to start using the product:
The product catalog informs us of the other product categories available from SteelSeries:
The SteelSeries Flux Luxury edition, as opposed to the regular Flux, comes with some extra features:
-Black base headset
-Special edition silver side plates
-Extra set of glossy black sideplates
-Orange swappable mobile/Mac® & PC cables
-Premium leather ear cushions
-Premium SteelSeries carrying case
The headset was tested along with the Titanium HD sound card from Creative for watching 1080P Youtube videos, TV shows, Full HD BluRay movies, listening to music, playing games and chatting online with Skype. For a product of this size, we were surprised how good they sound and the bass is quite punchy; considering that this is not an USB headset but an analog one, the quality of the sound and positioning inside games will be also dictated by the sound card (or any other device we will plug the headset to).
The Flux Luxury edition was also thought as a product for people on-the-go, so they have included the two cable sets. If we have a friend nearby with the same headset and want to share the same audio content, SteelSeries have also made this possible.
After working a little bit for adjusting the FluidFIT headband, we were surprised to see that the headset has remained confortable during use, even with the glasses on; however, our ears can get hot at times and we will feel the need to remove the headset from time to time for just a couple of minutes.
The audio quality in Skype was not bad either since the person at the other end could hear us clearly and without extra buzzing. However, if the microphone on the wire faces towards us, it will get in contact with our clothing and may create different disturbing sounds; because of that, when fitting the jack cable we must make sure that the microphone orifice will face outwards.
The headset can be found online for about 116 Euros, but we are not afraid to recommend them thanks to the sound and materials quality along with the unique features they bring.
I would like to thank again to SteelSeries for making this review possible!