Editor's Note: We would like to thank Chris Smith and Tt eSPORTS for providing us with this review sample and for allowing us to give it away to one lucky reader at the end of the year. Keep watching the site for the competition details...
{gallery}techspace/hardware/audio/level10{/gallery}
My first thought when looking at it was that it didn't look that comfortable but it did look unique. That initial impression goes to show that looks can be deceiving because despite the aluminium construction and narrower than usual ear cups, this headset is pretty light and comfortable. The story of it's inception is also a little unusual in that BMW's Designworks USA, worked with Tt eSPORTS to create the Level 10 M Gaming headset. When we opened the box, we immediatley noticed the build quality, precision and attention to detail of this product. Tt eSports have released two versions, one black and one white.
Considering that the headset is largely aluminium, it was surprisingly light to pick up. The ear cups and head-rest pad are soft where they make contact with your head but firm enough not to move around which makes the Level 10 M Gaming Headset more comfortable than it might look. In addition to comfort, the earcups are leather/faux leather and do a great job in terms of isolating external noise - despite being more "narrow" than most headphones I've used.
Adjusting the Level 10 M headset couldn't be easier. The ear cups have a vertical pivot and horizontal rotation where the join onto the overhead band allowing them to conform to the exact angle of your head. The sliders on the left and right are 'notched' which means that you can adjust the hight of the earcups once and unless you make an effort to change their position, the side adjustment should stay put. In the month that we tested the Level 10 M headset, the sliders held position perfectly.
In the interests of flexibility, the designers also implemented bilateral USB plugs into both earcups so that you can have the cord running to either your left or your right depending on where the audio source is located. The USB connector in the earcups is firm and we can't see the cable coming lose unless you remove it on purpose. The 'Bilateral USB Connectivity' shouldn't be confused with USB sound. This headset has 3.5mm connectivity and needs a headphone or combo headphone/mic port to plug into. There is an easy to reach inline volume controller with a micrphone mute switch.
{gallery}techspace/hardware/audio/level10/accessories{/gallery}
Tt eSPORTS matched the quality of the packaging with the build quality of the headset - it's all premium. The box is all black and has a cardboard sleeve around it. The main inner box is rigid cardboard with two magnets to keep the flap shut and a small ribbon 'pull'. Inside the box, the accessories are in a small box inset into the plastic shell that holds the headset in place. you have to remove the shell to get the headset out - at this point, you discover the cloth bag that Tt eSPORTS include to keep the headset looking top notch. Even the microphone is covered in a protective wrap for delivery.
{gallery}techspace/hardware/audio/level10/box{/gallery}
Build quality is strong and we couldn't find anything 'cheap' about it. We particularly noted the aluminium base, use of polished screws, complete braiding of cables and well apholstered head pad at the top of the band. The microphone is fixed to the left earcup via a front mounted pivot and fold up to align with the earcup - very neat!
Features:
- Aluminum base
- Mic-axis design
- Bilateral USB connectivity
- Adjustable, locking headband
- External in-line controller
Headset Specifications:
- Color: Diamond Black
- Connector: 3.5 mm gold plug (Headphones and Microphone), 1 metre cable for a mobile device also included
- Platform: PC/Mobile Driver: 40 mm neodymium magnet
- Channel: Stereo
- Frequency response: 10Hz-22KHz
- Impedance: 32 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 100 dB at 1KHz
- Cable Length: 3.0 meters
- Volume Control: In-line volume wheel and mic mute
- Mic Directivity: Omni-directional
- Sensitivity: -35 ± 3dB
- Frequency: 300Hz-10KHz
- Impedance: 2.2K Ohm
- Accessories: Carry bag and 1 meter mobile device cable
So we've covered off the build quality, the design and the specifications but what really matters is how it sounds. I was reluctant to do a direct comparison to the Plantronics Gamecom 780 because the 780 is a USB headset and this is an analogue interface which means that the source signal is different.
We tested the sound experience using:
- Onboard Realtek ALC 898
- ASUS Xonar DX
- Onboard Realtek ACL 1150 implemented on the new MSI Z87 M Gaming motherboard with 600Ω amplifier
When testing, I tested the headset with a Blu-ray movie, gaming and CD music - all the results are subjective and while I'm not an audiophile, I am still pretty picky when it comes to sound.
Movie testing involved watching sections of Star Wars Episode 3. The audio was clear, crisp and provided a pleasant movie experience.
Music was good but I wasn't blown away like I have been on $300+ headsets. Music wasn't bad by any stretch and on par if not better than average in terms of the headsets that we have seen around the $120-150 range.
As expected, gaming audio was great, the combination of noise isolation and clear sound reproduction provided an immersive experience. Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 have been worthy indicators of chatoic gameplay and sound with footsteps, voices, aircraft, explosions and other ambient sound effects that were all present and clear despite their ingame crossover. Skyrim dungeons and dialogue testing was also a pleasant experience.
In the past, I've found that using a microphone via the ALC898 chipset has been soft and not great for the people that I'm trying to communicate with. With this in mind, we tested the Level 10 M headset micrphone via the ASUS Xonar DX. Ambient sound was present and audible in our testing, not to the point where it made voice communication during gaming a problem, but it was consistent in a few different tests so it's worth being aware of.
For the RRP of $159, the sound is at the upper end of what we would expect and in my opinion, a good 'all rounder' headset for a gamer.
In terms of comfort, I found the Level 10 M headset comfortable for long periods of time (4-6 hours). Both the Level 10 M headset and the Gamecom 780 feel very different to each other and although the 780 has wider/square ear cups and less contact with my ears, the Level 10 M headset provided better external noise isolation and what felt like crisper sound. To be fair to the USB Gamecom 780, the clearer sound on the Level 10 M headset could also have been due to the source but the difference in noise isolation was certainly because of the headset design and better on the Level 10 M.
The sensitivity of the microphone seemed to pick up ambient sounds like keyboard clicks but it wasn't a major distraction.
{gallery}techspace/hardware/audio/level10/stand{/gallery}
As an all-rounder, the Level 10 M Gaming Headset is a good option. If you are into music and not all that fussed about gaming, I'd be looking elsewhere and spending more. I game, watch the occasional movie and regularly have music on when working - for my purposes, the sound quality is a good balance and the comfort is on the money.
The price is expected to be $159 but there is a bundle at PC Case Gear at the time of publishing that will secure a Level 10 M Gaming Headset and a Level 10 M Black Gaming mouse for $199. The mouse retails for $99 on it's own and if you like the shape of the Level 10M gaming mice then this deal would be quite the bargain.
When stand alone retail stock is readily available, this is a product to watch and perhaps pencil in on your Christmas List.
Competition Note! - Thanks to Chris Smith from Tt eSPORTS, we will be running a competition immediatley after Christmas to give our review sample away. More details will follow but we are looking to bring some Christmas cheer to one lucky person who got 'Grinched' with a bad Christmas gift over the festive season. Watch this space!
| Level 10 M Gaming Headset | |
 |
|
|
PROS |
|
|
CONS |
 Not cheapStand alone retail stock is hard to come by at the moment |
 |
|
| Recommended Retail Price |
$159.00 |
Light & Comfortable