A major upgrade
When you review as many headsets as I do, some start to bleed together. There are definitely standouts among the pack, and after testing so many of them, I have found the things that really impress me when I strap one on. The RIG 900 MAX HX (I really hate these names) checks almost every single box I look for. It is comfortable, it sounds great, has many quality of life features, and so much more. I have never loved the RIG series in the past, always found other units more to my liking. That may change now as I absolutely adored the 900 MAX HX. There is a chance this will be my go-to headset for the foreseeable future.
Let’s kick off with what is in the box. Of course we get the headset, but there is also a base/charging station, a USB dongle, and all the necessary cables. What I love about the dock is that it works as a charging station, but also has a slot for the USB dongle just in case I wanted to charge my headset closer to my chair. Convenience is key when using these headsets and this one nails it.
MSRP: $249.99
Price I’d Pay: $249.99
The headset itself is similar to the RIG 600 with the adjustable cups for each side. There are three notches you can choose from, but with the padded band at the top, this one fits and feels much nicer. If there is one gripe I have about the earcups, it is that they don’t feel like they are fully enclosing around my ears. It feels as if there is a small space in the back that I kept finding myself adjusting. The headset is very light. A lot of the higher-end headsets wear on me after a few hours and cause headaches. I never had that issue with this one. I could go through sessions of single player games, then swap to my Overwatch matches without needing to take a break in between. This headset just feels great over extended periods of time.
This headset has a dual connection with the USB as well as Bluetooth. One disappointing aspect of this is that it is not simultaneous. This means if I was using game sound, I couldn’t also have music playing through my phone. They can only be used one at a time. Most headsets with both can offer simultaneous streaming, perhaps in a later update.
To expand the headset there is a RIG app on phones that is a necessity. This is where you can update firmware (wirelessly!) as well as adjust equalizer settings. Out of the box the headset has little oomph to its bass and the sound is kind of tinny at some levels. The EQ is a game-changer. Once I made my adjustments, it sounded amazing. It also saved my settings, which I know sounds normal, but after months of constantly resetting them on my Turtle Beach, this was a godsend for me.
The Dolby Atmos support is above and beyond here. No extra configuration is required for accessing it out of the box outside of downloading the app. What is different here is that this is the first headset to use a customized Atmos experience. As weird as it sounds this requires using the app to scan your head. This allows the headset to customize where the audio comes from based on the shape of your head. It sounds ridiculous, and maybe it was a placebo effect, but I swear it sounded even better when I tuned this. Still Atmos is amazing and all headsets should focus on its support. Hearing every step behind and above me in games is just as game-changing as visuals are.
The mic is about the only thing on this headset that feels par for the course. A lot of these headsets put a lot into their communication tool, but the RIG settles for ‘good enough’. The mic hangs lower than others which makes it not as loud as it could be when using it in chat. It flips up to mute, which is always the best option, and the sound quality is fine. This is one area of this headset that feels not as premium as the rest of the package.
Having the dock means I will never have to test this, but the battery life is amazing. For the review I just never put it back on the dock and got nearly 50 hours out of the stock battery life. This means it will seemingly last forever even if you don’t use the dock. I am very particular though and always put my peripherals back on the charger and this one sits right down into the dock and starts charging immediately. I never had to fiddle with lining it up since the charge port is magnetic. It truly is yet another quality of life piece that this headset nails.
The RIG 900 MAX HX is a terrible name for an outstanding headset. This truly may replace my Stealth Pro as my main headset for gaming. I was using it outside of online play, which I rarely do as I have a decent sound setup as it is. Yet I could crank these higher and they sound amazing. Once you tweak the EQ and scan your head for Atmos this headset might be the best I have used this year, and quite possibly the best compliment to your Xbox or even PC in the long run.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
