Surround Sound is good (when it works)
review by
8bitg33k
I've owned the Logitech G930 for about 4-5 months now. After I moved and set up my PC at the my new digs, they stopped being recognized by the Logitech Gaming Software. That means, no more surround sound and no configuration options are available. Trying different USB ports didn't work. Un- and re-installing wont work. The headset will still be recognized under Windows (Sound Properties, Device Managers, etc) and give Stereo sound, but no more 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound. I had unplugged the USB dongle my move and when I set up the computer again, I used a different USB port with the result of the Headset no longer being recognized by the Logitech Gaming Software. This seems to be a far more common issue than one might think for people who use this headset.
The 'Logitech Gaming Software' (Logitech's proprietary Config Utility) no longer recognizes the G930's once it is unplugged and then plugged back into either the same USB port or a different USB port, although it will still work and be recognized by Windows as a stereo headset.
Since I had no intention of using a $179 headset marketed as a Surround headset for simple stereo, I decided to do some research: Many Logitech G930 owners report the issue with no fix in sight: The headset works under Windows and provides stereo, but is not recognized by the Logitech Gaming Software and thus can not be configured for 7.1. The most common cause is unplugging the USB puck and then plugging it into a different USB port. Or, for some, simply unplugging it and then plugging them back into the same USB port causes the Logitech Software to malfunction. To be fair - this is a software/ driver issue more than the actual hardware, but still a very real issue for many, as the links reflect:
Some example search results for people having this issue
https://forums.logitech.com/t5/Logitech-G-Headsets/G930-is-not-detected-after-installing-LGS-Software-8-35-18/td-p/880352/page/2
and
http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Headphones-Headsets-Microphones/G930-not-being-detected/td-p/949852
and classic Google:
http://goo.gl/gQphFJ
(update: there are workarounds as listed below. The workarounds however are not a silver bullet fix and typically require software and/ or hardware mods as listed in the update towards the end of this review. And they are workarounds, not a fix for the Logitech Gaming Software)
Stay away from this product! When it works they're rather decent at the price tag, but there is a very real risk that all you'll be getting is bland stereo which you could have gotten for less than half the price.
UPDATE 2/3/2015 : I finally got the Logitech Gaming Software to recognize the headset again. More out of desperation than anything else, I plugged the headset into my Keyboards USB port and suddenly the headset popped up again in the Logitech Gaming Software. Very odd but I'm happy for now - until it happens again.
UPDATE 2/15/2015 : The Logitech Gaming Util stopped recognizing the headset yet again, but after a few days of messing around on sheer blind luck, I managed to get it working again by going into Device Manager, selecting "Update Driver" for the G930 and manually pointing it to the Logitech USB Audio folder.
UPDATE 3/5/2015 : Eventually the software stopped recognizing the G930 again on it's own (read: the USB shaped DAC was not unplugged at any time), and my previous workaround would not duplicate. I started looking for a different pair of headphones to replace the G930's and came across an interesting little post by SniperCzar thread
here. It basically tells you how to have an internal soundcard replace the Logitech G930's external DAC. Using
UNi's modded Xonar drivers (although it works with the default Aus driver as well, just not as good), the Surround Sound is actually far superior than what the Logitech's DAC could produce.
On the note of this review I also found it highly revealing that none of the more reputable Gaming Headphone guides, including the one here on OCN, recommend the G930's. A much better option is to go with a good quality pair of stereo headphones and a Soundcard capable of producing Virtual Surround (Dolby Headphone, Virtual Surround, EAX, etc). You can pick up one starting at ~$34 such as the Asus Xonar DG, which is also capable of driving any headset up to a resistance of 150ohm. Some users also report using the Razer Surround Software as a working alternative.
The price for the G930's has tumbled from the original MIR of $179 down to $99 at this point. I won't speculate as to the cause of a price decrease of over 50% but I will say that at the original price point of $179 the Sennheiser G4ME One's seem like a far better choice
if one must go with a Virtual Surround headset. After having listened to other headsets, I have come to the conclusion that the G930's are very mediocre and far superior sound can be achieved by using a) a different Virtual Surround headset featuring a USB DAC or b) getting a decent Stereo headset and then using your audio hardware's WIndows Utility to achieve Virtual Surround. Even at a price point of $99 better options are available.
After the debacle I and many others experienced, and doing my own research, I want to mention that anyone educated on Sound discourages getting a headset that uses it's own solution for Sound processing. "You never, ever, ever, ever, ever want a headphone that does its own processing." I want to encourage anyone looking for a Gaming headset to head over to
www.head-fi.org and read Mad Lust Envy's extensive guide on Gaming headsets. The Guide was started back in 2011 but the fact that the thread is still active shows how relevant it still is today.
Pros | Cons |
---|
Intergrated Hotkeys, Sounds fine | Surround sound randomly quits working, especially when switching USB ports (and sometimes on it's own), Randomly squeals in your ear |