[section_title title=”Performance & Software Testing”]
Performance & Software Testing
To test both the Logitech G633 & G933 Artemis Spectrum gaming headsets comprehensively, I have decided to split the testing into 4 main fields of testing; this includes comfort, general audio quality such as films and music, microphone quality across voice communication software and gaming audio quality. A good quality headset will show versatility, but obviously, this is relative to the kind of headset/headphones tested and of course the general focus such as a gaming headset or pair of audiophile headphones.
Comfort
G633/G933
Seeing as how both headsets are pretty much identical in terms of design and the only thing really separating them is the wired to wireless difference, I figured I would combine both. That being said, I found both the G633 and G933 Artemis Spectrum gaming headsets to be super comfortable during long sessions; not just during gaming, but also watching tv shows and movies. Both sets feature a closed cup style design and it can get a little irritating if you knock the headsets at all while wearing them. What I mean by this is that the sound reverberates around the ear cup and sounds like a loud bang going off.
The headband is pretty solid and is easily adjustable with very small increments of leway; this is fantastic for those who demand the absolute best fit! The G633 is a little bit lighter than the G933 (battery adds a little bit of weight), but it makes no difference in terms of head focused endurance and I had no issues my head feeling heavy whilst wearing either of them; this can be a problem for some gaming headsets, but not for Logitech this time round.
General Audio Quality
G633
I found the Logitech G633 really good when it comes to music and movies; especially when linked up to the Logitech Gaming Software and Dolby enabled. This adds an extra dimension to not only the sound quality but the actual immersive experience. Of course, many top tier gaming headsets do feature Dolby surround, but I have to say I am really impressed with how Logitech have managed to make it feel Dolby worthy without even having it activated. Sounds are crisp, clear, concise and most importantly, the bass isn’t too overwhelming in music. If this is of course your acquired taste, you can change the EQ so that the low end is thumping your ears away; be careful not to damage your ear drums though as these can be very loud at maximum volume.
G933
Much like the G633, the G933 has superb musical tonality when going through the motions. What I mean here is for a wireless headset, the quality is nothing short of phenomenal; probably the best wireless headset we have tested so far at Play3r. Of course given its price, it was either bound to make a bold statement on a popular, but timeless gaming headset, but with strong mids, lows and highs, this could be the perfect sub £200 wireless gaming headset. What makes it so good is the very clear range of sound when listening to various genres of music such as rock, classical and even hip-hop; we like to get our jam on at Play3r!
Microphone Quality
G633/G933
There are many different voice communication applications in which could be tested, but we would be here all day testing EVERY single one. That’s why we went with the most frequently used ones; Skype and Teamspeak 3. Skype does have a slight disadvantage however as it tends to compress audio quality a lot and uses a lot more bandwidth than the likes of Teamspeak 3 and Ventrilo. The verdict? In Skype both headsets sounded relatively good in terms of microphone quality, although our Rode NT-USB did seem to sound considerably better; not really comparable, but still!
Voice quality was much stronger across TeamSpeak 3 and having switched from the Rode NT-USB without any warning or notice, no-one really seemed to notice much difference between the quality which in our opinion, adds weight to our claims that the G633 and G933’s microphones sound good when not compressed.
Gaming Audio Quality
G633/G933
The cream of the crop here is how these headsets perform while gaming and I have to say, the G933 has the best gaming audio that I have personally tested from a wireless headset. The midrange is absolutely superb with each bullet ricochet sounding so crisp, clean and realistic. Of course, low end can be a little muddy depending on your preference on volume, but this is the case with most gaming headsets on the market and unfortunately for Logitech, they couldn’t avoid this issue on either the G633 or G933.
Although the difference is negligible between the top tier gaming headsets on the market in games such as League of Legends, DOTA 2 and even World of Warcraft, in titles such as Battlefield 4, Counter Strike Global Offensive etc, clear positional audio can make all the difference in competitive play. I can’t say Logitech’s drivers are perfect, but they certainly demand respect and that’s exactly what they deserve. Turning Dolby on via the Logitech Gaming Software offers a completely new dimension in games and for those who like an immersive and realistic sound, owners of either of these new Artemis Spectrum headsets will not be disappointed!
Logitech Gaming Software
I’m not going to sugar coat this, but having had many previous experiences with Logitech’s intuitive gaming software, it has been a rather mixed bag of feelings and I’m struggling to hide my discontent. I think the main thing to be taken here is that the Logitech Gaming Software is to be used as a tool for mapping the keys to the unique G keys and of course turning Dolby on or off. You can use the headsets without the software, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend that on PC for the best experience.
For Logitech’s benefit, I didn’t encounter any problems whatsoever this time around using the software so that’s always a plus point; it actually feels a lot smoother than previous versions too.
Taking a look at the software itself, when initialised, the main screen comes up with a very realistic, but futuristic view of the headset in 3D.
Once connected, you can re-map the G keys to whatever you wish, or of course, search for specific pre-programmable game presets which are widely available for most major titles.
Here you can adjust all elements of the RGB (spectrum) lighting functions, with different modes to customise your experience with. Logitech includes breathing, colour cycle, solid colour and the opportunity to make a custom set. You can also turn the LEDs on or off here, as well as the logo and the LED strip on the sides.
With a very in-depth customisable EQ, the Logitech Gaming software allows you to know only select through different preset EQs such as FPS, MOBA, Cinematic gaming or regular communications, but you can customise all the EQ settings to your hearts desires. This is great and has other features available such as microphone noise removal, which is great in a busy or noisy LAN environment.
As mentioned previously, you can switch between Dolby Surround or DTS Headphone X. The latter setting allows for a much richer set of tones and is better suited to music, rather than gaming in my opinion.
Updating the firmware can add features, fix any niggling issues unbeknown currently…or can of course improve performance. We recommend you update the firmware when available for the best possible experience!
