When I'm choosing a new headset for myself, there's three main selling points: Comfort, sound quality, and convenience. Comfort is, as one would guess, measuring how comfortable the set is on my ears, and how easy it is to adjust on my head. Sound quality – even more obvious, I know – is how music, game sounds, and more come from the set into my ears. Convenience is marked by how the headset connects to any given device, as well as how easy they are to store when I'm done. The Nacon RIG 900 Max HX hits every one of these requirements and then some, as it offers one of the best audio experiences I've ever had.
Specifications
- Current Price: $179.99 (Best Buy)
- Ear Coupling: Around ear
- Wireless: 2.4GHz USB-C wireless dongle and Bluetooth 5.1
- Headphone Frequency: 20Hz - 20kHz
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Headphones Sensitivity: 111 dBSPL/V
- 3D Audio: Personalized Dolby Atmos
- Headphone Driver: 40mm bass boosted drivers
- Mic Frequency Response: 100Hz - 10kHz
- Removable Mic: Flip-to-Hide
- Mic Sensitivity: -45 dBV/Pa
- Mic Pick-Up Pattern: Uni-directional
- Mic to Signal Ratio: >42 dB
- Connectors: Wireless USB-C Adapter
- Weight: 241 grams
The sound quality for the Max HX is crisp and clean, whether I'm listening to my Spotify Wrapped playlist or hunkering down for a gaming session. There's little noticeable delay between actions on-screen and the audio hitting my ear, and everything that comes out sounds great. For games that use surround sound, the headset does a terrific job of helping me pinpoint specific sound sources and act on them. No monsters are sneaking up on me with this headset on, and I appreciate that.
The Max HX has three main size settings: Small, medium, and large. Adjusting between them doesn't follow the "slider" format of other headsets; instead, there are three distinct levels, and each ear piece can be snapped into or removed from one of those settings at will. On one hand, this means the slider doesn't trigger while the headset is on my head, and the earphones remain steady throughout my time using them.
On the other hand, there's little to no wiggle room between the settings, so some folks may run into situations where medium is too small but large is too big, so they may not be as steady as they could be. This didn't impact me personally – I have a head the size of a bowling ball, so I always default to large and they fit great – but this could be a potential issue for others.
The headset is completely wireless, which I absolutely love, and connecting to my console is as easy as attaching the USB stick into one of the slots. The headset adjusts automatically, and before I know I'm able to hear everything in the game and communicate with teammates as well. I love the convenience of it all; I don't have to really do anything, and the headset is good to go.
The device restores its battery via a USB-C/USB-A cable, but it also comes with a charging stand that I can simply sit the headset on to recharge it. What's more, the dongle I need to connect to my console or PC can also connect to the charging stand, which allows me to charge the headset without using two separate ports. This is a novel engineering design, and one I've come to really appreciate.
That said, I've noticed the headset doesn't sit in the charging stand with 100% efficiency. There have been times where the prongs haven't attached to the device when I thought they had, leaving me with less battery life than anticipated. Furthermore, if the desk I have the charging stand on should shake, the headset will sometimes shake itself off the charging stand, and it will either fall in front of it or disconnect and reconnect rapidly, with the little red light on the front blinking wildly. When it's stable, the stand works perfectly, but there will need to be considerations taken to make that happen.
Other features include Bluetooth technology, which allows me to connect the headset to my Switch for some Super Mario RPG sessions – and anything that puts that music directly into my ears can't be wrong. Pairing is simple too; all I have to do is hold the Bluetooth on the device for six seconds, and it will search for something to pair with. On PC, I can create a profile for Dolby Atmos for even more precise audio, but I imagine that's something only the biggest audio geeks will dig into. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's not essential to the experience.
Final Thoughts
All told, the Nacon RIG 900 Max HX is a worthwhile investment if you're in the market for a headset. This device was made with the user in mind, from the impressive sound to the quick compatibility with PC and Xbox – and even Switch through Bluetooth – and then to the easy-to-use charging stand. It's a premium headset with a premium price, $250 is no joke, but as a long-term headset solution it gets the job done.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Articles may include affiliate links from which we may earn a small commission to help support the site. Authors do not earn affiliate revenue or commissions.
