Because you wouldn’t want any false surround now, would you?
How much difference does surround really make? I’ve had my fair share of surround systems, and certainly when it comes to movies and TV, I’d much rather have a good set of stereo speakers and a strong subwoofer, because I honestly don’t care if I can hear helicopters flying over my head while I’m watching Die Hard.
However, gaming is a different matter entirely. There’s a strong argument for having audio coming from all directions in a medium that puts you right in the middle of a 3D environment and where you can look all around you. If you can hear an enemy coming from behind you, then it makes sense that you might gain some kind of tactical advantage that you wouldn’t get with stereo.
Of course, not everyone wants to share the noise of their frag sessions with the rest of the world, so 5.1 headsets like the Speedlink Medusa are a tempting proposition. The question is: how good are they?
With the Medusa, first impressions are positive. Before you’ve even plugged this headset in, you might well be impressed with its sturdy build quality, which belies its budget price. The way the earpieces twist and fold in is the kind of thing usually reserved for more expensive products, so Speedlink should be commended for including such features here.
The padding around the earpieces and on the headband is soft and reasonably comfortable too. However, the earpieces are also rather small, and some users might find they press down on their earlobes, rather than surrounding them.
I also have my doubts about the leather-effect covering. It seems more than a little flimsy, and I suspect it’s likely to peel away in a matter of months. Perhaps that’s why Speedlink included an extra set of earpads, which come in a snazzy red colour, as opposed to the standard black ones.
Whether or not this is the case, for a headset costing just over £40, the Medusa offers far more than I was expecting. The sound quality is surprisingly good, with clear treble and good, undistorted bass response.
You can also use the large control unit built into the cord to raise and lower the levels for the Medusa’s front, centre and rear speakers and the subwoofers, as well as adjusting the overall volume. Listening to music from Spotify, only the front speakers worked, which is a little disappointing, because it would have been desirable to hear the bass coming out of the sub channel. Regardless, the bass sounded well balanced and was comfortable to listen to.
In 5.1 mode, however, this headset truly comes alive. This is when the sub kicks in, and when you start hearing all five channels. And best of all, it really works, so yes, you can hear choppers flying over your head in Die Hard if you absolutely must (I don’t actually remember if there are helicopters in this movie, but I’m guessing there must be). Even for someone with his doubts about surround sound, I have to admit the audio produced by the Medusa when watching TV or films is impressive.
But does it work in games? Yes, but also no if you’re running Windows 10. On a recently upgraded system, I found that in some of the titles I tested the headset with, I could only get stereo sound, meaning only the front channels again, while in others, such as Fallout 4, full surround sound was implemented automatically. And in various 5.1 test videos on YouTube, I could get all five channels but nothing from the sub. I was, however, using the drivers automatically provided by Windows 10, because the ones supplied by Speedlink at the time, both on disc and online didn’t work with this operating system. A few days later, I did notice some beta Windows 10 drivers on the Speedlink site, but unfortunately, I didn’t have any luck with them either. Thankfully, on a Windows 7 machine, these same videos played perfectly, and every channel, including the sub could be heard. Oddly, though, in both versions of Windows, the surround sound test in the Windows Sound control panel indicated that all channels were working.
Such problems might be a deal-breaker if it weren’t for the overall sound quality and the appealing price. As it stands, the Medusa headset offers great value and more than competent performance. Anthony Enticknap
A good headset at a great price.