AceZone A-Blaze

AceZone has quickly become a favourite of Gamereactor's editorial team, not only because it takes a more consumer-friendly approach with frequent firmware updates, but because the headphones are seen more as a platform than a final product - and it's a platform that can be upgraded and enjoyed for many years. Oh, and the sound quality is light years ahead of the rest of the market.

Reducing the price without compromising on quality is a difficult exercise, but they managed to create a home version of the professional A-Rise headset. It was called A-Spire - and a side note: at some point they'll probably run out of names with that approach. The wireless version of the A-Spire is currently my favourite gaming headset, but it's not cheap, so it was with curiosity that we got to try the latest and cheapest version, the A-Blaze.

Behind the typical exterior, which is generally consistent with AceZone's design philosophy - it's almost as if someone realised that adults can also play video games - the headphones are built around a powerful DSP chip with noise cancellation, which works very well, even in the workplace. In fact, I've been taking it to work for a few weeks, much to my own delight. The ear pads can be changed, there's 45 hours of battery life, and everything is controlled not with drivers - yuck - but through a phone app, so no system resources are taken from your computer. A somewhat different approach than the 6,800 MB drivers we usually have to download.

Personally, I'm most fond of their custom EQ function, which runs 8 bands, but most people will probably use the game-specific settings. I think it's a good service that you can choose between presets in this way. It's not groundbreakingly new, but it's something I think should be standard.

ANC is done via a hybrid system, where a pair of solid ear cups have both an internal and external microphone, and it works brilliantly. AceZone's approach is that by being able to clearly hear small sounds in the game, you'll be able to hear your opponent before you would have otherwise. They even quote a figure of 0.3 ms from their own internal tests. The sound is exclusively wireless, both with radio waves and Bluetooth. On the other hand, there is a dongle included so that your PlayStation also works with it.

They press a lot and are quite firmly in place, but you don't really notice it until you take them off. This makes them exceptionally suitable for headbanging, or whatever you do that moves your head a lot at once. But they feel quite light, despite their 270g weight being right on the borderline.

A-Blaze is very much modelled on A-Spire Wireless, and not just the look, but also the inside. I have to dig my heels in and emphasise that these two products are quite different. After all, A-Spire Wireless costs almost twice as much as the A-Blaze, which only costs £170, which is almost half-price in the modern world, where both gaming headsets and keyboards can easily cost £250+ each. However, AceZone should be commended for being honest about how A-Blaze compares to their other products. As AceZone's own reviews show, it's primarily the microphone that is lacking, not just because it lacks EQ settings, but it's generally not of the same quality as A-Spire Wireless either, plus while speech is clear, it's a bit more tinny than the larger models. But if you're like me and don't say much - especially when gaming - it doesn't really matter. Then again, A-Blaze uses a cheaper type of Omni MEMS microphone, so maybe that's not surprising.

The DAC chip and platform have also been spared - minimally - but the devices themselves are identical. This means you get AptX HD and AptX Lossless, which is something even expensive headphones still struggle with.

AceZone is busy explaining why the larger model is better and more expensive, but they're missing the point, which is that the sound quality of the A-Blaze beats most everything else on the market. It's crystal clear and one of the only headphones where the midrange isn't hidden away. It's a significantly different sound profile than you'll find anywhere else, not just because you want your music to sound better (which it does), but because this is functional sound. And for that reason alone, I have no problem with the microphone not being on the same level, especially when the battery life is close to 45 hours despite heavy use.

I'm currently struggling to see who could make a better headset at the same price.