You’d be hard-pressed to find a product from Anker that fails to exceed expectations. And their new, budget-friendly Soundcore Strike 1 Gaming Headset is no exception.
Much like the company’s cables, power adapters, and projectors, the Soundcore Strike headsets are an incredible bargain. With an advertised price of between $35 and $50, these headphones offer the quality you’d expect from headsets twice as expensive.
First and foremost, the Strike 1 is pretty bass-heavy so they’re not super great for listening to music. But that boomy bass from the 52mm drivers, though, is enjoyable during gameplay. I found the headset particularly great when playing an FPS, like Overwatch.
Anker says they did some tinkering with the enclosure so that it “emphasizes the sound of gunfire and footsteps to pinpoint enemy positions.” I don’t really know what that entails, but I was definitely more aware of enemy positioning with this headset.
That said, the sonics (aside from the bass) reminded me of my SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless Gaming Headset, a $100 wireless headset.
The removable microphone is, well, fine. And, once again, that’s actually another win for Anker. Mics on gaming headsets are notoriously crappy, and for it to be passable is actually kind of amazing.
The gel-infused, memory foam earpads are incredibly comfortable and that’s a big deal. Most of the low-budget cans I tested heat up and these didn’t bother me even after hours of gaming.
Honestly, there’s not much else to say about these headphones. They do exactly what you’d want a wired game set to do and they’re easy on your wallet. If you want RGB lighting and 7.1 surround sound, you’ll need to invest $15 more dollars on the Anker Soundcore Strike 3. But since that one connects via USB, your uses are a little bit more limited (see: no good for on-the-go Switch gaming) so I actually preferred the cheaper Strike 1.
Whichever you choose, you should rest easy. Both are an incredible value and you’re unlikely to regret your purchase.