In a $300 wired bundle, JBL tried a little too hard with their flagship Quantum One gaming headset, which included configurable illumination, active noise cancellation, and simulated surround sound improved by head tracking. The Quantum 800 attempts to accomplish a lot, too, but by skipping the head tracking, it manages to fit much of the same capabilities into a much more portable wireless box for just $199.95. As a consequence, you get an appealing headset with a lot of features for a low price, as well as good audio quality. The JBL Quantum 800 has earned the title of one of our wireless gaming headsets as a result of this.

JBL Quantum 800 Wireless Headphones

Design

The Quantum 800 is dark and elegant, with matte gunmetal and black plastic finishes. When the headset is turned on, the back of each earcup has a circular textured panel with the JBL logo that lights up with programmable coloured illumination. The light-up panels are framed in a metallic, shiny dark grey plastic. The flip-down boom mic, a foam-covered capsule placed on a stiff but pliable black rubber arm, is housed in the left earcup.

The earpads are covered in silky fake leather and cushioned with a considerable amount of memory foam. The headband's bottom has less cushioning but is made of the same silky synthetic leather. As a consequence, the headset has a soft, snug over-ear fit that should be pleasant for lengthy gaming sessions, as well as strong noise isolation that boosts the active noise cancellation.

The right earcup has a power switch and a Bluetooth pairing button on the bottom edge. A USB-C connector for charging, a 3.5mm input, a mic mute button, a volume dial, a game/chat balancing wheel, and an active noise cancellation button are all located along the back and bottom corners of the left earcup. The USB transmitter, as well as USB and 3.5mm cables, are included.

The USB transmitter is a 2.4-inch black plastic stick with a USB port at the end. It's a little on the big side for a wifi dongle, but it's slim enough to fit into most busy ports. A JBL logo stands on top, with an indicator LED and a connect button on the side. With the lights turned off, the JBL Quantum 800 may last up to 14 hours, according to JBL. Depending on the volume level you utilise and if you keep the lights on, your use will vary.


Software and Connectivity

The USB transmitter on the JBL Quantum 800 is meant to be used with a computer. It also features a 3.5mm connection for utilising the headset connected with any gaming console and supports Bluetooth for connecting it to your phone (or anything else with a headphone or headset jack). All of the adjustable capabilities, however, need a wireless connection to your PC.

The QuantumEngine software from JBL allows you to customise a number of aspects on the headset. To begin, it has a 10-band adjustable EQ with numerous presets. You may also choose between DTS simulated surround and JBL's proprietary Quantum Surround, or turn off simulated surround altogether. 

The coloured lighting on the sides of the earcups is also programmable, and you may cycle through up to five different colours at varying rates by adjusting the JBL logo and the outside light ring. There are few choices in the microphone menu, but you can modify the sidetone (the amount of your voice that comes through the headphones when you chat) as well as the mic loudness.


Microphone

The boom microphone is extremely sensitive and, with a little tweaking, sounds fantastic. My first test recordings were sibilant, but after lowering the microphone volume in the Quantum Engine programme, things improved dramatically. After the change, the test recordings were crisp and clear. This is a great mic, but if you're serious about recording or streaming, you should invest in a dedicated USB microphone rather than relying on a headset.


Cancellation of Noise

The JBL Quantum 800, like the Quantum One headset, has Active noise cancellation (ANC). Because of the Bluetooth connectivity, it's much more helpful on the JBL Quantum 800; you can link it to your phone and experience ANC while out and about. With a long press of the ANC button on the headset, you can change between ANC (or non-ANC) listening and a pass-through mode, which enables you hear your surroundings well while wearing the headset.

To buy headphones with strong ANC, you usually have to pay a lot of money, and the function is almost never available on gaming headsets. The Quantum 800's active noise cancellation (ANC) is surprisingly effective, filtering out a good deal of ambient noise without causing any low-level hiss or appreciably altering the sound of what you're listening to (problems often found in cheap ANC).

Although the noise cancellation isn't as good as Bose's ANC technology, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are double the price of the Quantum 800. The Sennheiser HD 450BT is an outstanding pair of headphones with audiophile-pleasing sound in this price range if you want good ANC (and don't require a boom mic). If you don't, you'll wind up paying a lot more for superior noise cancellation.


Performance

When you utilise the proper settings on the Quantum 800, music sounds fantastic. Unless you utilise the Bass Boost EQ option, which gives a more robust sound without sacrificing any clarity in the mids or highs, I found the bass to sound shallow, just like the Quantum One. Surprisingly, when listening to music, the QuantumSurround simulated surround mode offers the finest balance. 

The setting adds treble to match the deep bass, and while the result is a little scooped and inaccurate signature, it's an energetic and balanced sound. Because the upper frequencies aren't boosted in the stereo and DTS modes, music might sound flat or bass heavy (if you pick the Bass Boost setting).

Even at highest (and dangerous) loud settings, the continuous bass drum in Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" sounds rich and substantial, with no distortion. Although the bass doesn't quite reach subwoofer levels, it's still a tremendous wallop. Even with the heavy bass, the guitar chords and voices come through effectively in the mix.

The initial acoustic guitar plucks in Yes' "Roundabout" have a lot of resonance and string texture, and the electric bass sounds snappy when it comes in. The guitar, percussion, and vocals are all in the middle of the mix, and the bass isn't overpowering.

The Quantum 800's robust bass response and excellent treble are also demonstrated in The Crystal Method's "Born Too Slow." The track's pounding, foreboding backbeat feels big and almost thunderous, and the guitar riffs and screeching vocals have enough presence in the mix to stand out.

Doom: Eternal sounds fantastic on the headset for gaming. Shotgun and rocket bursts sound tremendous thanks to the Bass Boost EQ, but even the more mids-focused FPS EQ setting gives great bass response to the action. When dealing with a crowd of adversaries, the simulated surround effect provides superb positional imagery, and the diverse sounds of weaponry come through clearly.

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A Multi-Purpose Headset for PC Gamers

The JBL Quantum 800 is a powerful gaming headset that can handle a wide range of tasks and does it admirably. It's wireless, has configurable lighting, simulates surround sound, has a nice microphone, and even has reasonable noise reduction. It doesn't have the same level of sonic precision as more costly headsets like the Astro Gaming A50 or Sennheiser GSP 670, and it doesn't work with gaming consoles. 

If you're a console player, the Astro A50 is still a fine pick, while the $100 Razer Nari Essential delivers surprisingly outstanding performance for the price. The JBL Quantum 800, on the other hand, packs a lot of features and extremely excellent performance into a package that's not quite flagship pricing, and that's enough to give it the title of one of best wireless gaming headsets for $200.