Others by stefan @ 2017-02-15
The Fnatic Gear Duel is hands-down the most interesting headset we have tested so far in our labs in terms of modularity. Thanks to the innovative design from AIAIAI, the product can be disassembled to the last bit, in order to obtain a configuration which will better suit our current needs.
At first we would like to thank Fnatic Gear for sending out their Duel Modular Gaming Headset for testing and reviewing.
“Quality is everything. We've made the Fnatic Gear products to the highest quality standards, built so they perform and stand the test of time. If at any point in our manufacturing process we feel the products might not meet our exacting standards we will not release it. Simple as that.
But for us, this is just the beginning. We're in this for the long run. 100% of revenue from all our initial products will go back into the the development and distribution of new amazing gear to share with you and our players in 2016.
After acquiring the Swedish brand Func, we’ve been working closely with our acquired development team building and refining our initial products. We wanted to make sure we released with a range of products good enough for our players, and therefore good enough for you. Now, we’re ready to show off all four products, the all new Flick, the refined Rush keyboard and the range of mouse pads.”
ESPORTS INSPIRED
Designed with the worlds best CS:GO, League of Legends, and Dota 2 players for dependability in the toughest situations.
COMPLETELY MODULAR DESIGN
Headband, Earpad, Earcup, Speaker Unit, Cable, Microphone, all yours to select. We're taking customization to the next level.
DJ AUDIO QUALITY
A collaboration with Danish company AIAIAI, we guarantee premium audio for music and gaming.
VERSATILITY
Featuring both "On the Road" and "Gaming" configurations, DUEL is ready for any situation. We've included a protective drawstring bag to carry your DUEL wherever you go.
AESTHETIC
AIAIAI's designs featured in the Museum of Modern Arts with Fnatic tones result in a headset you'll be proud to display indoors or out.
After covering keyboard and mouse gaming peripherals from Fnatic Gear, it is now time to check out what they have in store in the audio segment: for this Duel project, Fnatic Gear has made a cooperation with AIAIAI audio pioneers in order to create a custom version of their TMA-2 Modular model. AIAIAI does have multiple versions of this headset available on their website such as BNR Edition, All-Round Preset, DJ Preset, Monitor Preset and more; Fnatic Gear went with the same interesting design but aimed for a sound signature more suited for gaming and music purposes. The product is shipped in a compact cardboard enclosure, showing the Gaming Configuration on the top cover:
The bottom layer of the box does feature a photo of the headset with “On the Road Configuration”:
Several details such as the inside box contents and main product highlights can be spotted on the laterals:
After lifting the top cover, we have observed something interesting: all the modular components of the Fnatic Gear Duel headset are supplied in separate black sealed plastic bags:
We’ve got two separate sets of earpads and the speaker units:
Moving on, we can find the cable that includes the boom microphone but also a separate bag with the headband:
The manufacturer also supplies a secondary cable, with an on-cable microphone assembly:
For traveling purposes, Fnatic Gear has also included a drawstring pouch:
This one carries an obvious Fnatic Gear logo in the corner:
The internal layer does sport the specific orange color of Fnatic:
First we have unsealed the in-line microphone cable, which is meant to be connected with portable devices and has a shorter length of 1.2m:
The in-line remote that has the microphone assembly does also come with a microphone mute button:
On the back of it, we will find the Fnatic Gear logo:
The secondary, longer cable is designed to be used on PC/laptop systems and in the same bag with it we will find a splitter:
The boom microphone is linked to the jack plug assembly, a similar design as we have seen with the ROCCAT Cross:
An in-line remote is also present here:
This one comes with a small switch for muting the microphone:
A cable belt clip is also supplied as an accessory:
Next component we will concentrate our attention on is the headband:
It comes with thick padding on the top, covered in PU leather and on it we will also find the Fnatic logo embossed, along with L/R channel names:
The drivers are connected to the headband via jack plugs, which are color coded for an easier identification during assembly:
On each of the headband arms we will find small holes which are meant for driver position adjustment:
The speaker units are also supplied in separate protective bags:
Fnatic Gear Duel does come with 40mm Neodymium drivers, each housed in a plastic chassis with a rubberized finishing on the exterior layer. On the top and on the bottom of each speaker unit we will find jack interfaces:
A closer look at the housing also reveals the mounting points for the supplied earpads:
Inside each opening of the speaker unit chassis, we will find a plastic pin that helps with the positioning of the driver onto the headband:
Duel comes with two sets of earpads: a on-ear slim one for all-round purposes in order to be used mainly outside, but also an over ear set with a thicker padding for a more accurate sound representation, comfort and isolation during gaming tournaments or for watching multimedia content while at home:
The product documentation is supplied inside a black envelope:
Here we will find the assembly instructions but also a Quick Guide:
The installation and removal of both earpads can be done in just a snap:
The next step of the installation is to position the right channel speaker unit onto the headband and connect it to the jack plug, which is color-coded:
Same process goes for the left channel:
Here is how the final assembly of the headset does look in the “On the Road” mode:
We have then removed the earpads and mounted the thicker, over ear ones:
The last step was to install the cable that also sports the boom microphone:
The Fnatic Gear Duel is hands-down the most interesting headset we have tested so far in our labs in terms of modularity; thanks to the innovative design from AIAIAI, the product can be disassembled to the last bit, in order to obtain a configuration which will better suit our current needs. Since we are talking about a model with 40 mm Neodymium drivers which is based on an analog Stereo interface, the quality of the sound output is also dictated by the source so if you are using a low-end smartphone with a poor audio CODEC or even a PC/laptop with a noisy CODEC of a similar type, you won’t be able to properly experience the product.
For trying out the Duel, we have plugged it into our Creative Sound Blaster ZxR sound card and started the listening experience. We have left the EQ values to default in several TV shows, a couple of movies but also ran multiple games such as DOOM, GTA V, Rise of Tomb Raider, Black Desert Online and TOXIKK; the voices sounded loud and clear, we have found the middle frequencies well-represented and as we have suspected from a gaming headset, the bass is fine-tuned so the explosions, car engines and gun shots can be experienced in high detail. Usually, some manufacturers are using 50mm drivers to acquire a similar experience, but AIAIAI and Fnatic were able to work things out on smaller drivers too.
When first using the boom microphone in a Skype conference, our colleagues told us that they were hearing us a bit muffled and found out that the reason for that was the microphone is unidirectional by nature, in order to avoid picking up noise from around. The trick is to have the mic boom oriented with the orange line towards our mouth -> by following these instructions we were heard loud and clear and could continue the gaming session in good conditions.
Now to the negative aspects of the headset: well, the product does not seem to feature an in-line volume control, which could be very handy; secondly, the top padding of the headband not as soft as we would have liked and after a few hours of usage we needed to reposition it in order not to cause discomfort. This aspect has a workaround, by simply adjusting the drivers so the headband would barely touch our head. The third downside is the price, which is currently set at 189.9 Euros and is a bit steep for many potential customers.
We would like to thank again to Fnatic Gear for making this review possible!