Headset review | Plantronics Gamecom 777 7.1

There is a part of me that wishes Plantronics was just a tiny bit more crude–had a tendency for excess showboating. It would be interesting if everything they sold said, “yes. Our Product has been to the moon.” But, for a company that has worked on things that have left our atmosphere, they remain surprisingly grounded. A utilitarian approach dominates this headset.

Updating the 5.1 iteration, the  Gamecom 777 7.1 maintains the unassuming style of its predecessor. In fact, outside of the Gamecom logo engraving on the sides, there is little that can be seen as form over function on this headset.

The ear pieces completely cover the ear, allowing for extended wear that works well even for those with glasses. The noise cancelling microphone picks up your voice very well and can neatly fold up into the headband. The bass is extremely solid, but not so much that the treble and mids are adversely affected. The ear pieces are open on the back, allowing you to hear if a cougar has wandered into your room, or friends and colleagues, without sacrificing game volume.

The headset uses virtual 7.1 surround sound through the USB attachment (though you can use the analog plugs for stereo sound). The 7.1 surround feature can be a mixed bag at times–sometimes the surround isn’t so much directional as it is encompassing. This may sound a bit confusing as surround sound is intended to surround the user; however, in cases where there should have only been sound from a single direction, I had trouble determining where it was coming from. In the cases it did work, it worked beautifully and adds that extra layer to help you immerse yourself in the game.

While its aesthetic qualities may not shine, the 777 isn’t a slouch in the durability department. It’s deceptively hardy. Including being bounced around in various bags on various trips, it’s been dropped, pulled, kicked (accidental of course), and twisted to all sorts of interesting degrees so that the plastic moaned under the strain. The headband seems to exacerbate any creaks and groans the headset is subjected to–depending on how you put the headset on your head, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the part that gave out first.

My chair has, on many occasions, yanked the headset wire, pulling the 777 clean off the table and sent it hurtling towards the floor. The analog portions cleanly separated from the USB connection to minimize any damage. Having inspected and checked everything on several occasions, nothing seemed amiss and I was able to continue on my way. And while I have no interest in going in the details, take assurance that the microphone can take a blow from fast moving corn on the cob without missing a beat.

Is it perfect? No, but it is extremely solid and performs wonderfully, if not entirely consistently. Is it gorgeous? No. It’s not ugly by any means, but it lacks that certain flair that defines other Plantronic devices. What the Gamecom 777 becomes is the Everyman of Headsets. While it won’t be going to space, the 777 is an excellent entry in the gaming headset market and should be a no-brainer for those who have had great experiences with the Plantronic headsets in the past. It has a quality to its features that I consider mandatory with games now and games to be released in the future. If the Plantronics team continues to improve the build quality and feature set, they may very well end up setting the comparison benchmark. “What does this headset do?” will become “what does this headset do better/worse than the 777?”