While I consider myself a bit more of a hardware geek than an audiophile I was still excited to receive and test Creative’s latest gaming headset the Inferno. At the $50 price range, there’s a lot of competition for the Inferno. So, how does it stack up?
Design and Aesthetics:
Before I get into the technical specifications let’s talk a little bit about the design and aesthetics of the product itself.
As you can see the Inferno’s red and black color scheme is quite attractive vs. other models. The headset itself is composed of mostly plastic while the earpieces use a thick foam padding for comfort. Foam is also used on the headset’s strap to add additional comfort while resting on your head.
The audio cord is a red plastic 3.5mm 4 pole jack that combines both the mic and audio meaning its pretty much plug-and-play for use with the PS4 and can work with an adapter for the Xbox One.
On the cord is an audio volume and mic slider which, in my opinion, adds a bit of convenience, but ultimately little value overall.
In the Box:
In the box, you’ll find a detachable microphone and an audio splitter.
The audio splitter allows you to connect to your PC and Mac using the traditional pink and green audio connectors. This allows for normal usage of the mic and audio just as if they’d been split in the first place without degrading the signal.
The detachable microphone has a flexible boom and noise-canceling condenser. This allows you to get it out of the way when you’re using the headset with a tablet, phone, or other device, and reattach it when you’re ready to get back into the game.
Technical Specifications:
Here’s a brief overview of the Creative Sound Blaster Inferno Headset:
Headphone:
Driver Units: 40 MM Neodymium Magnet
Frequency: 20Hz – 20kHz
Impedance: 32 ohms
Sensitivity: 115 dB/mW
Microphone:
Type: Noise Cancelling Condenser (detachable)
Frequency Response: 100Hz – 15kHz
Impedance: Sensitivity: -40 dBV/Pa
Inferno Headset Review – Is it a Good Gaming Headset Under $50?
Now that I’ve gone through the basics of the headphone itself I thought I’d give you my thoughts and overall impressions of it.
First of all the headset itself sounds great. Whether you’re plugging it into your tablet or using it on your PC you’ll definitely be getting better than average audio quality from this price range.
If you asked me if this headset was comfortable, I’d say that this really depends upon you. As someone who is 6’4″ and has a larger than normal head the Inferno was a bit small for me. Even adjusting it upward my ears still felt quite a bit pinched. After using it for a period of two weeks it did get a bit more comfortable, but I’d still not recommend it for those with either big ears or a big head.
The mic and audio slider on the cord, in my opinion, was really neither here nor there. While you use it there seems to be some distortion; however, I found myself using the volume slider on whatever device I was on rather than the built-in one. I’ve seen other reviewers be overly harsh about this particular feature; however, for me, I’d rather have it than not. That being said if Soundblaster could fix the distortion and place this particular feature on the headset itself, I’d consider it a plus.
Recommended Products to Buy With the SB Inferno:
In addition to purchasing the SB Inferno, Creative recommends you purchase their E1, E3, or E5 DAC to use with it. This, in my opinion, is where the audio really begins to shine. While I’d boost this product up to 4 stars if you were using it with a DAC like the E3, I’ll have to stick with 3.5 stars due to the comfort level, overall build quality and other products in its category. You can see our Video review at youtube.com/topt3ngam3r for more information on the Soundblaster Inferno as well as Creative’s E3 DAC.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5