ASUS have added a new gaming headset to their product line. They call it the Echelon Forest and the design is quite the attention grabber! With a military themed paint and a name that makes you think of undercover missions, we were quite interested to see what the headset sounds like. We've tested it for a couple of weeks and we're now ready to share our verdict. Read on to learn whether or not it's the right headset for you, from this review:

Unboxing The ASUS Echelon Forest Gaming Headset

The headset is packaged in a black cardboard box with military camouflage patterns. A cut-out on the right side of the box allows you to see the headphones before unpacking them.

The back of the box offers quite a lot of information about the technical specifications of the headset.

Once you open the box you'll find the headset in a plastic case together with a few accessories:

• An audio adapter for old mobile devices such as Nokia or Sony Ericsson mobile phones
• A military-patterned travel bag
• A braided splitter cable that separates the audio and microphone channels
• A foam microphone windscreen

Aside from that you'll find the warranty and the quick start guide.

Hardware Specifications

This headset uses 50mm neodymium-magnet drivers and it is compatible with both PCs and Macs.

The headset cable is 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) long and the splitter cable is another 1.3 meters (4.2 feet) long. That makes for 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) of cable for when you're connecting the headset to a PC. All the cables included in the set are braided. The speakers have a 32 Ohm impedance and a frequency response range between 20Hz and 20KHz. The headset weighs 268 grams (9.45 ounces).

The microphone is retractable and has a 100Hz - 10KHz frequency response rage with a -42 +/- 3dB sensitivity level.

You can find the full set of specifications of the headset here: Echelon Forest - Specifications.

Using The ASUS Echelon Forest Gaming Headset

The headset definitely draws attention thanks to the military themed design. The overall look and feel of the headset is quite premium. ASUS used quality materials for this product and we appreciate that. The only debatable aspect from a design point of view is the military theme, which some people might like while others might not. If you are a fan of World of Tanks, we're sure that you will appreciate it. 🙂

The cups are comfortable, they cover your ears entirely and they isolate the background noise quite well. Unlike the ASUS Strix Pro, the cups are fixed and you cannot rotate them.

Wearing the headset for multiple hours of gameplay was pleasant and fairly comfortable. The product is not too heavy and we didn't feel fatigued after long gaming sessions.

We've used the Echelon Forest while playing games, watching movies and listening to music. The sound was clear and crisp in all situations. The sound quality reminded us of the ASUS Strix Pro.

Just like most gaming headsets, the sound quality is at its best only during gameplay. When you listen to music and watching videos, the audio experience offered by Echelon Forest is decent but not impressive. Depending on the type of music you listen to, you might or might not be satisfied. While the Echelon Forest does a good job in games and music with loud bass, the same cannot be said for rock tracks, for instance. Guitar riffs don't sound as clear as they should and this is where it's quite clear that the headset is aimed towards games with loud sound effects but not many sound details.

The microphone is good and I appreciate the idea of ASUS making it retractable. This saves some space when travelling and makes the headset look more compact. Skype calls were loud, clear and crisp and we had no problems making ourselves heard on the other end of the line.

The headset's cable also has a volume rocker and a microphone on/off button.

There is no software for this product as the product works right out of the box.

Verdict

The ASUS Echelon Forest is a headset for people who appreciate a more daring design theme and who play games quite frequently. If you are into war games, you will surely love the design of this headset. The overall sound quality is good, but not good enough for audiophiles. The retractable microphone is a very nice addition and the product will be a good companion for LAN parties or long gaming sessions, since it's comfortable to wear. If, however, you are on the lookout for a headset that offers premium sound quality and you plan on using it in games only occasionally, there are better alternatives for you to consider.