Each time I see the word “gaming” in the product description, I expect aggressive shapes and ridiculously placed LED lights that illuminate the room like a x-mas tree in December. When OneOdio A71D got pitched to me, that’s precisely what I imagined. I’m not saying all that extra fluff isn’t cool, but it doesn’t improve your gaming performance for sure. OneOdio A71D makes claims about “gaming”, therefore, I expect a great spatial sound and comfort that let me use their headphones for hours.
OneOdio A71D – not a single LED
There are no LEDs, the headphones are rather plain-looking. In fact, there are no fancy features on these cans with the exception of the inline remote, which led me to believe that the entire “gaming” in the product name was just a keyword strategy to place OneOdio A71D in front of hungry gamer’s eyes on Amazon. That’s fine with me, as long as the headphones deliver in quality. Priced roughly around £30 on Amazon and a little less in via their direct page, OneOdio A71D didn’t inspire confidence at first.
I took on reviewing these after OneOdio Bluetooth wireless headphones surprised positively with their great performance. They weren’t perfect, but good enough to make me curious about OneOdio A71D.
OneOdio A71D feel extremely light. Not fragile mind you, but light enough to make you wonder if they actually put any speakers inside the cans. They come with a detachable microphone (3.5 mm jack) seated at the end of the flexible connector. While their main cable isn’t detachable (for storage purposes it would be nice), it has an inline controller with volume, mute and play/pause buttons. The cable is terminated with a 3.5 mm audio jack, which makes sense if you want to use these not just with PC but also consoles. The cable is long enough for all my needs and made from tangle-free housing. Inside the box, you will also find a 3.5mm audio splitter to separate the microphone and audio lines.
The cans are finished with a very soft and comfortable faux leather and due to the weight of the headphones, you could use them for hours without feeling a hint of discomfort. OneOdio A71D don’t cost much, but they offer a well-made product for the price you pay.
Game on
Sold as gaming headphones, OneOdio A71D left me no choice but to launch CS:GO and get slaughtered by bots. While I was getting killed more often than I’d like to admit, I quickly discovered that I absolutely love the sound of the guns in the game. Once I had more cash to burn in the game, I got the AWP, and…
BOOM
I forgot how overpowered this weapon is. I had to turn down the volume a little, as each shot tingled my ears. OneOdio A71D did a really good job at delivering the sounds of explosions and shots. Once I got into it, I started to listen for steps and pay more attention to sound positioning. Yes, it’s still a game against the bots, but after 10 years or so I’m completely forgiven for being rusty and scared of 14 years old handing down my bottom to me online. I don’t think my fragile ego can handle it.
It was time to step up the game. Next up – ARMA 3, the sounds are as real as it gets and OneOdio A71D delivered once more. It’s clear to me that the headphones play to lower frequencies just a tad more, and it works. It’s not an Atmos Dolby or 7.1 sound, but you are going to enjoy nice physical noise isolation from the sounds in your house.
Last test, PS4 (I gave up on PS5 due to PSN network prices) and Battlefield 4. Big guns, big echos and big explosions delivered via the game controller. I tested the sound from 2 sources, the DS4 controller and BlitzWolf 4K portable monitor (review). I had a good time regardless of the source.
As far as I’m concerned you can bring your best game on, and enjoy whatever audio designed is served with these. There might be little “gaming” flair in them, but I’d consider these, the money decently spent.
Microphone
I hooked it up to my Zoom H5 recorder via 3.5 mm splitter and – well there is absolutely nothing wrong with the mic. There is no noise cancellation or anything fancy but the pickup is great and the clarity of the voice is decent too. I will be tempted to use this for my voice-overs, as I’m already using these headphones for audio editing. If you want to hear the sample, just click the video version of this review and you will get an idea of how good the microphone is.
In use
Each time I vow to use something more expensive and wireless like Jabra Elite 85H (review) or Sennheiser PCX550 (review) for editing, I end up taking these with me, leaving it in a bag/car/as far away from my PC as it’s physically possible. Wired headphones don’t travel as far and are always found where they need to be.
It’s still lockdown in the UK, working from home is a thing and I’d imagine, a lot of us go through a barrage of meetings, Zoom calls and Skype catch-ups. This is where OneOdio A71D can shine too, despite not having any funky gaming LEDs. After all, you may seem more professional using decent audio equipment that doesn’t advertise your K/D ratio to everyone involved. I’m aware of the hypocrisy of mine – typing these words away on Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro (review) – trying to justify its cost!
Final thoughts
I didn’t know what to expect. No fancy LEDs, no aggressive design and a really approachable price tag. Things could go in any direction but OneOdio A71D does the job without ruining your wallet. You will be happy with its performance, saving yourself money for all the premium subscriptions and game passes needed to play online in 2021. Deep inside I’m pleased to know that even on a budget, you can pick up decent headphones and enjoying games without the need for reaching out to the top shelf. If you have any questions or comments – let me know in this Reddit thread.
🆓📈 – See the transparency note for details.
