Frederik S
01-14-2007, 03:26 PM
[page=Introduction & Closer Examination]
Introduction
First I would like to thank IndiWEB (http://www.indiweb.de/) for supplying me with the Everglide Titan s-500 headset. IndiWEB is an official European distributor of all Everglide products among other things. The company's about page reads as follows:
"WE SUPPORT YOUR SKILL" - this slogan describes our goal. We offer specialized equipment for gamers and professional users to support their PC-skills at best. Many years of experience in this area enable us to focus on the high individual requirements of users. We have a wide range of specialized products in stock in order to fulfill these demands.
Everglide started producing some high quality hard mats, but in 2005 they came up with the Fibertek surface, which their Titan series mouse mat are based on. In 2006 Everglide ventured into the exciting scene of headsets, their contribution to the market was the s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones. These were quite different from anything I have ever seen due to the massive size and durable construction. Today I will be testing to see if this new addition to the Everglide product line is true to its name.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/TitanFnatic/images/everglide_logo.jpg
Packaging
The headset comes in a standard cardboard box, on which all the specifications are listed.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/packagesmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/packagebig.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/package2small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/package2big.jpg)
Let's have a look at those specifications.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/specssmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/specsbig.jpg)
As you can see from the image the specifications of the Everglide s-500 headset are quite ordinary apart from the 3.1m long cord, and the weight.
[page=Closer Examination]
Closer Examination
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/theheadsetsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/theheadsetbig.jpg)
The headset is quite large and the ear cup padding is absolutely huge.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/extrassmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/extrasbig.jpg)
The headset comes with a LAN bag and a small clip-on microphone. I like the fact that Everglide supplies a decent carrying bag for the headset that can protect the headset a bit when you are traveling.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/microphonesmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/microphonebig.jpg)
As you can see from the picture above, the clip-on microphone is quite ordinary, both in build quality and construction.
One of the things that amazed me immediately after I got the headset out of the box was the build quality, every aspect of the headset feels built to last. It seems like there Everglide has worked through every small detail with a critical perception.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/construcktionsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/construcktionbig.jpg)
The cord connects to each of the ear cups through a small cord that runs outside of the size adjustment mechanism, this is a really nice idea because a lot of headsets have problems with the internal connectors often used by headset manufacturers.
When it comes to adjusting, the Everglide s-500 doesn't disappoint. Each ear cup is adjustable by approximately 0.3cm intervals, the frails which the mechanism relys on are nicely constructed so that you can't mess your configuration up by simply putting it on your desk.
One of the most important aspects of a headset is the comfort while using it. Everglide has equipped this headset with a massive over sized headband covered with artificial leather.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/headbandsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/headbandbig.jpg)
The padding under the leather is quite thick making the headset comfortable to wear.
Another area where Everglide has tried to increase the comfort is the ear cups. The padding around the ear cups is really thick, which is both comfortable and helps to keep noise out of the ear cup.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/paddingsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/paddingbig.jpg)
The exterior of the ear cup is made in a nice clean white color with the Everglide logo on. The ear cups are quite large compared to most headsets on the market today.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/earcupsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/earcupbig.jpg)
The cord connectors of the headset are real heavy duty, this is nice to see because it's usually the Achilles heel of a headset.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/connectorsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/connectorbig.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/minijacksmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/minijackbig.jpg)
Both the mini-jack connector cord and the way the cord is connected to the headset itself is a very durable construction.
[page=Performance]
Performance
It's always hard to measure the performance of a headset unbiased. I have tried to make an objective comparison to my other headsets by testing it in both games and with my MP3 player.
The sound card used during the in-game tests was a Creative X-Fi Extreme Music. I have also tested the headset with my MP3 player which is a Creative Muvo2.
Music
I have tested this headset listening to some different types of music both on my PC and on my MP3 player. The sound quality is actually really good and the noise cancellation construction of the ear cups work quite well. While listening to music I found that the headset is very balanced providing excellent response and crisp sound quality right from the bass to the treble. The sound quality was even better than its closest rival namely the SteelSound 5H v1.
Games testing
I tested the headset in both Battlefield 2 and Counter Strike: Source. The tracking performance while using this headset was alright, it was easy to hear where the enemy was coming from and the bass had real power to reproduce all of the explosions and bangs with the right powerful expression. The only thing that could have been better is the treble responsiveness, if it was a bit more crisp this headset would be better in games. Even now it still is a good gaming headset.
Durability
I think this headset is one of the most durable I have ever had the pleasure to review. The quality of the build and the way that it's constructed makes it really hard to break. Every aspect of the headset feels well constructed and there isn't anything that feels flimsy.
Comfort
This headset is quite comfortable although the ear cups rest on your ear instead of your skull. The ear cups depress your ears and this makes the headset a bit uncomfortable to wear over an extended period of time. Even though it isn't the most comfortable headset, it still isn't a huge problem. The comfort while using this headset is still better than most of the headsets available on the market today.
[page=Conclusion]
Value & Conclusion Everglide s-500
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The Everglide s-500 headset costs € 79.95, and is available at IndiWeb (http://www.indiweb.de)
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Comfort
Durability
Design
Sound quality
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
Size
</td></tr>
<tr><th>9.0</th>
<td>
The Everglide s-500 headset is a really good headset that I can recommend to everybody looking for a good music listening and gaming headset. This headset is clearly made to last and that sets it apart from many of the low-quality headsets on the market today. This headset combines good design with a solid audio performance in both games and while listening to music. I really like the way Everglide has constructed the headset, every little piece of it seems well crafted and that is why I can recommend this headset to anyone wanting a durable gaming headset.<br />
During my tests I found the sound quality of this headset to be at the very top of the pack. It provides a excellent bass response and the treble is quite precise. This headset is a really good all-round headset, it can even be used together with a medium quality MP3 player without sounding awful, which is a real plus for some.
</td></tr><tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/recommended.gif</td></tr>
</table>
Introduction
First I would like to thank IndiWEB (http://www.indiweb.de/) for supplying me with the Everglide Titan s-500 headset. IndiWEB is an official European distributor of all Everglide products among other things. The company's about page reads as follows:
"WE SUPPORT YOUR SKILL" - this slogan describes our goal. We offer specialized equipment for gamers and professional users to support their PC-skills at best. Many years of experience in this area enable us to focus on the high individual requirements of users. We have a wide range of specialized products in stock in order to fulfill these demands.
Everglide started producing some high quality hard mats, but in 2005 they came up with the Fibertek surface, which their Titan series mouse mat are based on. In 2006 Everglide ventured into the exciting scene of headsets, their contribution to the market was the s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones. These were quite different from anything I have ever seen due to the massive size and durable construction. Today I will be testing to see if this new addition to the Everglide product line is true to its name.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/TitanFnatic/images/everglide_logo.jpg
Packaging
The headset comes in a standard cardboard box, on which all the specifications are listed.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/packagesmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/packagebig.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/package2small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/package2big.jpg)
Let's have a look at those specifications.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/specssmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/specsbig.jpg)
As you can see from the image the specifications of the Everglide s-500 headset are quite ordinary apart from the 3.1m long cord, and the weight.
[page=Closer Examination]
Closer Examination
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/theheadsetsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/theheadsetbig.jpg)
The headset is quite large and the ear cup padding is absolutely huge.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/extrassmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/extrasbig.jpg)
The headset comes with a LAN bag and a small clip-on microphone. I like the fact that Everglide supplies a decent carrying bag for the headset that can protect the headset a bit when you are traveling.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/microphonesmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/microphonebig.jpg)
As you can see from the picture above, the clip-on microphone is quite ordinary, both in build quality and construction.
One of the things that amazed me immediately after I got the headset out of the box was the build quality, every aspect of the headset feels built to last. It seems like there Everglide has worked through every small detail with a critical perception.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/construcktionsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/construcktionbig.jpg)
The cord connects to each of the ear cups through a small cord that runs outside of the size adjustment mechanism, this is a really nice idea because a lot of headsets have problems with the internal connectors often used by headset manufacturers.
When it comes to adjusting, the Everglide s-500 doesn't disappoint. Each ear cup is adjustable by approximately 0.3cm intervals, the frails which the mechanism relys on are nicely constructed so that you can't mess your configuration up by simply putting it on your desk.
One of the most important aspects of a headset is the comfort while using it. Everglide has equipped this headset with a massive over sized headband covered with artificial leather.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/headbandsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/headbandbig.jpg)
The padding under the leather is quite thick making the headset comfortable to wear.
Another area where Everglide has tried to increase the comfort is the ear cups. The padding around the ear cups is really thick, which is both comfortable and helps to keep noise out of the ear cup.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/paddingsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/paddingbig.jpg)
The exterior of the ear cup is made in a nice clean white color with the Everglide logo on. The ear cups are quite large compared to most headsets on the market today.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/earcupsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/earcupbig.jpg)
The cord connectors of the headset are real heavy duty, this is nice to see because it's usually the Achilles heel of a headset.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/connectorsmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/connectorbig.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/minijacksmall.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Everglide/s500/images/minijackbig.jpg)
Both the mini-jack connector cord and the way the cord is connected to the headset itself is a very durable construction.
[page=Performance]
Performance
It's always hard to measure the performance of a headset unbiased. I have tried to make an objective comparison to my other headsets by testing it in both games and with my MP3 player.
The sound card used during the in-game tests was a Creative X-Fi Extreme Music. I have also tested the headset with my MP3 player which is a Creative Muvo2.
Music
I have tested this headset listening to some different types of music both on my PC and on my MP3 player. The sound quality is actually really good and the noise cancellation construction of the ear cups work quite well. While listening to music I found that the headset is very balanced providing excellent response and crisp sound quality right from the bass to the treble. The sound quality was even better than its closest rival namely the SteelSound 5H v1.
Games testing
I tested the headset in both Battlefield 2 and Counter Strike: Source. The tracking performance while using this headset was alright, it was easy to hear where the enemy was coming from and the bass had real power to reproduce all of the explosions and bangs with the right powerful expression. The only thing that could have been better is the treble responsiveness, if it was a bit more crisp this headset would be better in games. Even now it still is a good gaming headset.
Durability
I think this headset is one of the most durable I have ever had the pleasure to review. The quality of the build and the way that it's constructed makes it really hard to break. Every aspect of the headset feels well constructed and there isn't anything that feels flimsy.
Comfort
This headset is quite comfortable although the ear cups rest on your ear instead of your skull. The ear cups depress your ears and this makes the headset a bit uncomfortable to wear over an extended period of time. Even though it isn't the most comfortable headset, it still isn't a huge problem. The comfort while using this headset is still better than most of the headsets available on the market today.
[page=Conclusion]
Value & Conclusion Everglide s-500
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The Everglide s-500 headset costs € 79.95, and is available at IndiWeb (http://www.indiweb.de)
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Comfort
Durability
Design
Sound quality
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
Size
</td></tr>
<tr><th>9.0</th>
<td>
The Everglide s-500 headset is a really good headset that I can recommend to everybody looking for a good music listening and gaming headset. This headset is clearly made to last and that sets it apart from many of the low-quality headsets on the market today. This headset combines good design with a solid audio performance in both games and while listening to music. I really like the way Everglide has constructed the headset, every little piece of it seems well crafted and that is why I can recommend this headset to anyone wanting a durable gaming headset.<br />
During my tests I found the sound quality of this headset to be at the very top of the pack. It provides a excellent bass response and the treble is quite precise. This headset is a really good all-round headset, it can even be used together with a medium quality MP3 player without sounding awful, which is a real plus for some.
</td></tr><tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/recommended.gif</td></tr>
</table>