Creative Labs HS-980 Fatal1ty Professional Series MKII Gaming Headset (Black)

Hey OCN, welcome to my second review! This will be a review on the Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset MKII. I caught this headset on Newegg when it was only $49.99 with no added shipping cost, so I jumped right on it. I game a lot and such, and everyone on Skype always complains of my echo since I previously used my webcam as a mic, so even if this turned out to be a mediocre headset, the price was right, and I needed a headset, so I bought this!

Onto the pros & cons!

Pros:

• It's very comfortable. I own a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 headphones that I primarily use for mixing EDM. I cannot wear my pair of 280s for general use because I personally find them to get very uncomfortable after an hour or so of use. It makes my head hurt because the ear cushions clamp so tight to my head. Maybe I just have to replace my cushions, but for now, I'm just going to assume those headphones in general just aren't for me.
  
  First off, the ear cushions on these headphones to me personally are exceptionally comfortable. I've read a few reviews on this headset and a lot of people say they don't like the ear cushions. Not sure, I guess cushions are a thing that vary from person to person, but for my big head, they fit nice and comfortable on my ears.
  
  Second, a lot of people complain about the headband being too thin, therefore causing some head pain, or just a lack of comfort. Personally, it doesn't bother me much at all, but if it does, I simply just "adjust" the headset my taking it off and putting it back on every few hours. Nothing to complain about.
  
  Also, I just thought I'd throw in there for sake of argument that I'm generally on my computer all day lately. If I'm in Skype with my good friends / playing games, I can wear my headphones for up to 8+ hours, and I'm still feeling comfortable and no irritation at that point.

• The headset itself is CHEAP for the quality you get if you can catch a good deal (not too hard nowadays, the headset is rather dated now). For example, I got the headset for $49.99, and I'd easily have no issue paying up to $70-80 for it based off of the comfort and quality it provides.

• Very lightweight. I don't feel like the ear cushions are strangling my ears, and I don't feel like the headband is drilling a hole into my head either. However, because it's so lightweight, this also leaves room for VERY EASY breaking if you misuse this headset, and in general just take poor care of your peripherals. SO BE CAREFUL!

• For the price, the sound quality you get is actually very impressive. I bought this headset figuring it'd just be a mediocre headset with mediocre mic & overall sound quality, but it's actually really good. The bass is great, not too overpowering or too little. The mids & highs are nothing to write home about, but then again, for the price it's really good quality.

• Removable mic piece. This feature is really great, and I hope a lot of headsets pick up on this. Having a removable mic piece is really nice because you can then also use the headphones in public, or just headphones in general, rather than a headset if you don't want to use the mic.

• The cord (although very thin and cheap) is long. Long cords are always nice, enough said.

• The headset aesthetically is really nice. It's red / black and has a nice Fatal1ty logo on the side. It has a mesh type of texture on the headphones near the logo, which looks pretty cool. Overall, it looks cool

Cons:

• As I mentioned earlier, because it's so lightweight, it breaks very easily if you PULL it off of your head actively, and just mistreat your peripherals in general. Even if you don't, I'd say it won't last any longer than ~2 years. Personally that isn't an issue to me, that's a long time to have a headset.

• The headband is thin, and some people find this a deal breaker on the comfort level. Personally, it doesn't bother me... but I have a lot of hair to cushion it. As soon as I get a haircut, I'll make an update to let those with short hair if the comfort level changes

• The cable is very thin. Although long, since it's thin, it can break easily. Just be careful as far as the cable goes. Currently I roll over the cable one million times a day, so I don't see my headset lasting too long if I keep that up. Just do your best to try and keep the cable away from accidents

Overall:

This is a great headset for the price I paid, and as I said, I'd be even willing to pay a bit more if I had to. If you can find it for the price I got it, or even lower, I'd definitely jump on it. The quality you get both aesthetically & sound quality is great. The microphone is too bad either, no complaints from any people I talk to.

So, if you're looking for a cheap headset that offers good quality and doesn't look bad, look no further