Describing itself as the ultimate form of wireless gaming headset, the Nacon RIG 900 MAX HS offers several options in its lightweight frame. I popped this headset on and spent a few weeks trying it out on a variety of platforms to see if it lives up to its claim of ultimacy.
For PlayStation (and Everything Else)
As is often the case with gaming headsets, the Nacon RIG 900 MAX HS is marketed for use with PlayStation 4 and 5. That said, it works on most devices. It uses a USB dongle to connect to these consoles (or a PC) wirelessly, with Bluetooth 5.2 being an option. In an age where headphone jacks are dying out, that covers almost everything else from phones to TVs. Conveniently, it allows a single-button switch between the dongle’s audio, Bluetooth audio, and a dual mode that listens for both too.
A little assembly is required. There are three slots on each side of the headset and each cup needs to be pushed into one to adjust the fit. There’s a charging base too, which is just a case of inserting the dongle and then running the cable to the PlayStation or PC. The headset easily drops onto the base to charge, with a bright red indicator on the top to clearly show that it’s charging.
Connecting wirelessly was automatic with the dongle and simple with Bluetooth mode. The only minor snag was when trying to use the mobile app to access some of the advanced settings as it took a few attempts for my phone to detect that the headset was already connected during the initial setup.
Turn it Up!
The Nacon RIG 900 MAX HS offers a clear sound, with a high bass. While the sound quality doesn’t reach the heights of some of the high-end dedicated headphones, it’s certainly reasonable for this price range and I have no complaints about the amount of detail that comes through.
Using the app, the sound can be adjusted with quite a wide range through an equalizer. You can either adjust manually or choose preset profiles to focus on certain types of audio such as ‘Voice Boost’, ‘Clarity’, or ‘FPS’. Other settings include microphone gain and monitor and some practical options around startup and alerts.
I was a little surprised by the volume. Even the lower ranges are quite loud by default. It does include an option to limit this in the app which I turned on, allowing more fine control over a lower level of volume.
On the input side, the microphone is a flip-down type which is always convenient. It gives a nice and clear sound with some minimal background noise picked up. It’s more than good enough for teaming up online in Call of Duty or Discord calls. I’d not typically use it as a streaming microphone, but with the right filters and settings, it could do in a pinch.
Comfortable and Long-Lasting
Perhaps the best features of the Nacon RIG 900 MAX HS are how comfortable it is to wear and for how long I can leave it on.
It fits relatively tightly on my head but without much noticeable pressure. Considering that the size is adjustable by three slots instead of a more standard sliding band, this may be a concern to some, but I’ve found no issues in my case at least.
The headset is incredibly lightweight, presumably due to the construction of the flexible plastic frame. While a plastic frame sounds like it may not be durable, it does seem strong, and I’ve used the RIG 600 Pro HS with a similar frame daily for over a year without issues.
The padding on the cups is incredibly soft. The part on the headband is a little thin, but I don’t find this to be a problem.
All in all, it’s one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve tried to wear for long periods of time. And you can wear it for long periods. The battery lasts between 50-60 hours depending on the mode and usage. With how simple it is to quickly put it on the charging stand when not in use, it’s easy to make sure this never runs out of power. Even if you’re like me and use its fairly long signal range to wear it even when wandering around the house instead of turning it off to charge.
Verdict
The Nacon RIG 900 MAX HS is somewhat expensive for a gaming headset, but the quality does match the price. The comfort and battery stand out, the charging stand is convenient and the audio matches others of the same price.
If you’re on more of a budget then options like the RIG 600 Pro HS are worth exploring too, but I can easily recommend the higher-end RIG 900 MAX HS even if calling it “ultimate” goes a bit far.
NACON RIG 900 MAX HS PRO HS IS RECOMMENDED
Purchase: Nacon Store
If you would like to see more hardware and accessories, you may be interested in our review of the EPOS B20 Streaming Microphone. Or if you’re looking for a headset to fit in a lower budget, the EPOS H3 Hybrid or Gioteck TX70 Wireless Headset may interest you.
Many thanks go to Nacon for a review unit of the Nacon RIG 900 MAX HS.
A gamer since the days of Amstrad and DOS and someone who has dabbled in a variety of professions. He enjoys a wide variety of genres, but has been focusing on visual novels and virtual reality in recent years. Head Editor of NookGaming. Follow him and the website on @NookSite.
