By: Hai Wang
June 16, 2017
If you have read my review on the Cooler Master MasterPro fans, you probably know my car's rear left brake caliper was seized. The car feeling under-powered was one consequence of a seized caliper I could live with, but toasting the rotor and braking pad really troubled me. Therefore, I spent a few hundred dollars to get them replaced. Trust me, having a self-heating brake is not fun. That was November 2016. How long do you think a pair of brand new brake calipers should last? More than five years? In my case, it only survived five months. About two weeks ago, I smelled a very familiar burning scent again as I was on my way to the gas station. On an aside, it is definitely not a good idea to enter a gas station when something on your car is possibly burning, haha. I parked my car on my driveway and did a quick check. I found the new rear left caliper had seized again. After another round of a more serious check, I realized this time the e-brake seized up, too. A small cam connected to the e-brake cable was coming out, so the e-brake shoe would not go back after it was released. Fortunately, the warranty was still valid, and now the problem is solved. There are two simple things I learned from this experience. First, if something has to break, it is better to break while it is still in warranty. Second, more mechanisms can equate to a higher chance of failure. In this case, the rear brake has both the main brake mechanism and the e-brake mechanism. The higher complexity contributed to more problems. The same theory applies to headsets. Some headsets have an adjustable headband arm or swivel earcup design. Those features are nice, but they may not last long if not designed well. In fact, the adjustable headband arm of my previous headset is very loose now after just one year of using it. For today's review unit, the GAMDIAS HEBE M1 RGB has none of those mechanical adjustable features. This make make it more reliable mechanically, which is good, but how about the other aspects? Is it a good headset overall? Let us find out.
The GAMDIAS HEBE M1 RGB arrived via Purolator Ground to us here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The package was sent from Link Computer Canada in Markham, Ontario, instead of the GAMDIAS’ American offices in Berea, California. As you can see from the picture, the parcel is clean and in good shape. Very few dents and scratches are found on the box. I can confidently say that the headset inside the shipping parcel is safe and sound.
After peeling the shipping package off, we can see the retail packaging of the GAMDIAS HEBE M1 RGB. The background color is in accordance with the GAMDIAS website’s theme – black and white. In the middle of the cover is a nice view of the headset. From my first glance of the retail package, I noticed there was a “RGB” sticker on the package. It seems the rainbow feature is one of the major selling points of this product. All the other features, like the vibration and bass impact, smart remote controller, unidirectional flexible microphone, 50mm HD driver, oversized earcup design, and the HERA software support are nicely displayed around the product photo on the box. On top of the black background, there is a smaller white background section, where the company name, product name, and company logo are printed. It is nice to see that the company name "GAMDIAS" is written in a very gaming-esque font. The company logo is located at the top right side of the box. The overall design of the package is very good, since we are notified of the most important information about the product in a short amount time. More specifically, the Greek mythological theme can be expressed by the retail box design, while the big features like RGB lighting can also be easily noticed. Long story short, just by looking at the retail box, I can tell the product is marketed as a performance gaming headset with a Greek mythological theme.
Before digging into details, let us take a look at the specifications of the GAMDIAS HEBE M1 RGB, as obtained from the manufacturer's website:
Specifications:
-Sensitivity: 119 ± 3 dB
-Impedance: 32 Ohm + / - 15%
-Driver diameter: 50 mm
-Driver Magnet: NdFeB
-Microphone size: Φ 6*5 mm
-Microphone Sensitivity: -40 db ± 3 db
-Microphone Pick up Pattern: Unidirectional
-Vibration Unit Size: 30 mm
-Cable Length: 2 m
-Plug type: Gold-plated USB plug
-Dimension (LxWxH): 188 × 104 × 230 mm
-Application UI: HERA Software
After opening the retail box from the top, the user can pull the black plastic container out. The GAMDIAS HEBE M1 RGB is held inside of the container. There is not a lot of stuff in the box; just a headset and the container. There is not even a quick guide included in the package, which I think will not be necessary for the real gamer. Unsurprisingly, a driver disc is not provided, since it is 2017 after all. However, the headset does need a driver if you want to use the HERA GUI software. You can download it from the GAMDIAS' website.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
