Steelseries Flux Luxury Edition Review

Brand: Steelseries
Model: Flux Luxury Edition
Price: £53.99 (At time of review)

If you’re a gamer in the market for a new headset, chances are you’ll logically go for a headset with a microphone attached to the left or right ear piece.  However if you are looking to listen to music, where there is no need for a microphone headphones will suffice. What if you wanted to both listen to music and play games on the go without being seen in public with an ugly microphone hanging off the end of your ear piece? Understandably anyone walking around with gaming headset in public would think to themselves “I look stupid.” Well worry not, the SteelSeries Flux headset covers all the bases.  The Flux headset is designed for gaming, listening to music and also answering those all important phone calls whilst still looking sleek and professional.

The main selling point of the SteelSeries Flux is the headset’s inherent versatility. In fact, when you purchase them from SteelSeries directly, you can customise your headset in a variety of colours to suit your mood or for you fashion conscious ladies, to suit what colour is the order of the day.  Do we think that SteelSeries have got it right? Have they made a headset that is not only colourful, customisable and comfortable but also better than the average headsets sold on the market today?

Let’s take a look and see if SteelSeries have hit the mark or missed the mark with the Flux. So let’s get testing…

About SteelSeries
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.

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

Taking a look at the front of the packaging, we have a large viewing window with the FLUX logo across the top in bright orange text.  The packaging informs us that the Flux luxury edition is compatible with PC, Mac and mobile. It also tells us that it is designed for gaming, music and voice communication such as use with a mobile phone or applications such as Skype.  The main shroud around the front is grey and also the internals which help protect the Flux headset during transit. It’s a rather distinctive box that is neither too ostentatious nor boring.

On the rear, we have a large SteelSeries emblem moulded into the plastic and information such as specs on the top of the box.  The back of the box is plain and follows an all-black colour scheme unlike the front, which is coloured grey.

Bundled with the Steelseries Flux Luxury Edition Headset we have the following accessories:

2 x Black ear cup shrouds
1 x Steelseries sticker
1 x Steelseries information booklet
1 x Mobile 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable inc mic
1 x PC/Mac 3.55mm to 3.5mm audio cable inc mic
1 x Audio 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable w/o mic
1 x Steelseries carry bag

There are plenty of accessories and the inclusion of three different cables allows you choose which one to use although I think they could have sacrificed one and doubled up the mobile/audio cables into one solution. However the bundle does allow for choice so there’s no reason to complain for generosity!

Upon an initial inspection of  the Flux Luxury Edition one can easily spot the rather interesting pattern that adorns the ear cups. Our sample came with this rather interesting design, but you can easily change the design or choose something less flashy when ordering it on the SteelSeries site. Alternatively, if you desire a more understated look, in the package there are two plain black replacement pads for the cups to make a more sleek aesthetic. Furthermore, the majority of the headset seems to be made with rigid plastic and notably there is an obvious omission of padding for the headband which I will mention again when discussing the comfort part of the performance analysis.

A closer look at one of the cups reveals that the Flux has a black on white patterned design which has a textured  feel.  There is a flap for changing and customising the ear cup and different styles of cup pads are available via SteelSeries for your customising pleasure, but I really do like the look of the one that comes in the box.

The Flux Luxury Edition has 3.5mm plugs on both cups, meaning you can plug the cable into either side.  Personally, I prefer the left cup but I do know people who prefer the right cup so I have to commend SteelSeries for giving consumers the option to choose which side the wire will come out of.

On the ear cups, there is ample padding in the way of faux leather which is filled with cushion to provide the best possible comfort while wearing the headset. The ear cups have a rather nice white stitch which goes round and in my opinion, is a nice little touch that should not come apart with normal use.

The Flux Luxury Edition Headset has hinges which allows them to be folded away and used with the supplied SteelSeries carrying case.  Some headphones/headsets I have used over the years, haven’t had this ability and it is always nice to see it being implemented in what is being dubbed as a luxury headset.

While testing this I realized I ran into a rather amusing dilemma. Because the Flux Luxury Edition headset is a very versatile headset, listening to music, making phone calls, gaming on the go, and even static gaming (static being gaming in the comfort of your own home) were all possible on this headset. In turn it’s versatility made it rather hard for me to decipher what I should recommend first.

Whilst using the Steelseires Flux Luxury Headset for gaming I found the ease of use and comfort of the headset even when wearing the Flux headset for long periods of time remained excellent. Normally on other headsets I have worn after a few hours my ears were hurting and I would have to take the headset off.  With the Flux however, the discomfort on my ears was nonexistent even after continuous use for multiple hours. The headset’s cushions are very comfortable and soft on my ears and this might be partially due to the fact that the headset cushions don’t go over your ears but instead just rest on them making a much more comfortable fit for me.  If you’re a gamer that goes to gaming events or just likes taking your headset with you when you go to a friends’ house for a gaming session this headset just might be for you.

Another plus about this headset was the in-line microphone. Normally when I use Skype or TeamSpeak, not having a mic close to my mouth impairs how well people could hear me. However with the Flux, I was told I could be heard very clearly despite the mic being a considerable distance from my mouth. So the in-line microphone for the Flux gets a hearty thumbs up for working even in sub-optimal conditions. This was also case when using the in-line microphone for phone calls when out and about. I could be heard clearly in both cases regardless of the weather conditions which during my test was a miserable, wet, and windy day.

Travelling around with the Flux headset is easy as pie too which is a very big plus. It fits into your bag very easily because of the folding design coupled with the resilient plastics and the thoughtfully slightly more rigid cables. The cables are encased in thick rubber, which in turn makes them harder to get tangle, unlike some headsets I have used which tended to have the wires tangled every time the headset was pulled out of an enclosure. So not only are the cables rugged but you save quite a bit of time by not needing what seems to be an eternity untangling wires.

When it came to listening to music with the Flux headset, I did not expect much. However, upon listening I was pleasantly surprised. The audio of some of my favourite tracks through the Flux was to say the least rather capable of producing surprisingly decent quality. Personally, I like to crank up the volume with my headsets and with the Flux this did not distort or destroy the the audio quality at all. In fact given it’s relative price range, the sound reproduction was surprisingly crisp for it’s rather small construction. Although the audio quality could perhaps be slightly better, the Flux covers the basics rather well and at the very least does not lose any composure when cranked up.  Watching movies with this headset was a breeze as well due to the audio quality again being rather above average for it’s price range. Another rather nice plus is that the Flux can split an audio source so you can share what you’re listening to with a travelling companion if you so desired. It’s a small touch, but one that is definitely appreciated.

So what makes the Flux Luxury headset stand out? Unlike most headsets the Flux has interchangeable accessories that are rather rugged and also can suit a variety of needs. Furthermore, the Flux can be customised to suit your mood and aesthetic desires, after all a bit of personalizing is always a plus.  The Flux also boasts many different appearances. The level of customisation allows you to choose from eight different coloured styles including, side plates, ear-cushions, PC and mobile cables.  So no need to get bored or fed up with the Flux as you can mix and match pieces to make your own unique looking Flux with pretty much an endless amount of permutations making this a very unique if not distinctive headset.

Upon reviewing the Flux Luxury edition headset, I found the headset to be very comfortable and easy to use. I tested the Flux headset in various environments, from long gaming sessions to phone calls and even sampling a few of my more preferred bits of music. Each of these tests proved that the headset was a very versatile in its’ usage and although it was a master of none, it definitely was a jack of all trades. To boot, the Flux turned out to be a somewhat stylish product when used out and about.

On the audio quality front, the Flux Headset delivers rather good quality on all levels of testing especially considering it’s specified price range.Furthermore the Flux turned out to be a rather durable and very comfortable headset in practical usage.  When it came to transportation, the Flux’s rigid and durable folding design definitely worked in its favor. The headset could fold up easily and came with a carrying bag to store the rather nice pair of headphones for later use. The bag also ensured that breaking the headset would take some effort as it offered a decent modicum of protection for storage in your own bag or backpack.

With the many features the Flux offers ,coupled with the seemingly endless ways to personalise and make these your own SteelSeries has made quite the compelling product. The Flux is rather loaded with features and extras that make it rather competitively priced and packaged against similarly priced headsets. Despite it’s not incredibly astounding audio quality, the fact that it has all these features while still being quite listenable is rather commendably on the behalf of SteelSeries. Whether you are in the market for a new headset or looking for a second headset I would recommend you give the SteelSeries Flux Luxury a look, as the headset is rather well priced versatile given the price range it’s placed in.

So if you’re looking for a headset that’s not too expensive, stylish, comfortable and can be personalised to suit you.  Then the Flux is definitely worth a buy! I feel that the Flux Luxury headset is worthy of our Editor’s Choice award.

Many thanks to SteelSeries for providing us with a sample for today’s review.