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Everglide s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones Review
Written by Allen C. Haid (BigAl) | Date: 6.13.2006 | Manufacturer: Everglide
Introduction

Gaming headphones are one of those peripherals that you would rather not use. Confusing? Let me explain.

Everyone with a decent computer system surely has some decent speakers to enhance their audio experience. Perhaps you have a 2.1 (two full range speakers and a subwoofer) setup, a 4.1 (four full range speakers and a subwoofer) setup, or even a 5.1 (adding a center channel) or 7.1 (adding center and a few more surround speakers) speaker system. During casual computer use, I bet most of you enjoy listening to an audio CD, or perhaps an MP3 with your iPods. When it's time to game, those speakers can help you stay focused on the task at hand - taking out enemy strong points without having somebody creep up to stab you in the back.

But what about those of us who are not living alone? I don't mean somebody that has to get their cat off their lap when it's time to game. I mean those of us who answer to a higher authority (your spouse or perhaps your mom), and the loud thud of a grenade or cannon explosion just might upset them. This is a good time to put on some gaming headphones. How about the times you bring your gaming system over to a LAN party? Are you going to pack a 7.1 speaker system in your car too? Heavens no. You are going to bring a set of gaming heaphones.

This review is all about the Everglide s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones (shown in figure 1), and they were provided to us by www.Performance-PCs.com, where they sell for under $100. Are these gaming headphones good enough for you? We aim to find out......


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Figure 1 The Everglide s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones, shown in carbon black.


Take a Closer Look


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Figure 2 The big picture - three items from Everglide means two separate reviews.


The package from Everglide arrived safely, in spite of the typical UPS abuse to packages that has me wondering how they stay in business. Anyway, FastLaneHW received a few items from Everglide at the same time (figure 2), so we are doing two separate reviews. This review is focused specifically on the Everglide s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones, while the other review (to be released shortly) will focus on two items - the Everglide g-1000 Professional Gaming Mouse and the Everglide Titan Ultra Wide Gaming Surface. All three items are shown in figure 2.

Upon opening the Everglide s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones box (figure 3), I was greeted by a nice cloth bag. When I opened the cloth bag, I found the headphones nicely wrapped up in bubble wrap (figure 4). As you can see in figure 5, we received the "black carbon" color, as opposed to the white version. There was also a small clip-on microphone in a small package (figure 6), so be sure to look carefully for it if you decide to buy a set of these headphones.


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Figure 3 The headphones come nicely packaged.

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Figure 4 A cloth bag surrounds the headphones, which are also wrapped in bubble wrap.



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Figure 5 We got the "carbon black" version; white is also available.

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Figure 6 There is the separate microphone, in a small bag.


Lets take a moment to review the marketing highlights and performance specifications from Everglide's web site:

The Everglide(TM) s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones feature an ultra-light membrane for instantaneous audio response. Faster than most conventional speaker drivers found in traditional headphones, the Everglide(TM) s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones are optimized for millisecond feedback to provide gaming response.


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Figure 7 s-500 headphones shown with white cups.

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Figure 8 Adjustable headband for comfort.


Recognizing that most professional gamers often compete in high volume noise environments, Everglide's engineering team has designed the Everglide(TM) s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones for complete noise isolation without compromising on audio quality. The Everglide(TM) s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones have an oversized circumaural leather muff to reduce ambient noise. Making them one of the quietest noise-isolated circumaural headphones in the world.

The Everglide(TM) s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones deliver top notch audio positioning sound quality by accentuating key gaming sound frequencies. From weapon sounds to footsteps, Everglide(TM) s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones provide crystal clear audio positioning quality, allowing you to pinpoint with pixel perfect accuracy the position of team-mates and opponents on a map.

The Everglide(TM) s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones have a unique circumaural earmuff design that provides an extremely comfortable fit. Designed to be used over an extended period of time, the Everglide(TM) s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones can be used for extended gaming marathons without subjecting you to headphone fatigue or discomfort.

Technical Specifications

Frequency Response: 20Hz "" 20,000Hz
Transducer: Dynamic
Nominal Impedence: 16 ohm
Max Sound Pressure (SPL): 102dB
Max Power Rating: 100mW
Weight (w/o cable): 360g
Cable Length: 3.1m
Available Colors: Carbon Black, White


One thing to notice is that the frequency response is a claimed 20Hz to 20KHz, but they don't specify the cutoff point, meaning the amplitude at which you notice the response of the transducers (drivers or speakers) dropping off. Quality manufacturers of speaker components typically specify the - 3dB point when they quote a frequency response range. The - 3 dB point is a 50% drop in amplitude (on a log scale), and this is detectable by the the human ear if you are within the frequency range that your ears can detect sound. A level difference of +/- 3 dB is roughly double / half power (equal to a ratio of 1.995). That is why it is commonly used as a marking on sound equipment. Most of us cannot detect sound beyond 16KHz, and 20Hz is down so low that you are really feeling it rather than hearing it.

As you can see in figure 8, the headbands are adjustable. Most headphones adjust in this manner, where you pull the top band away from the two side pieces. It will only go so far, so if you look like Frankenstein with that extra-large head, you might want to try these on in a retail store before buying them. Most people should have no problem fitting the Everglide s-500 Professional Gaming Headphones to their head.

Now that we've gone over the specs, it's time to try these on for some gaming....
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