Logitech is known for creating high-quality and reasonably priced peripherals like mice, keyboards, and headsets. The Logitech G533 Wireless Gaming Headset is the successor to the company’s well-known G930 headset. Designed for PC gamers, the G533 is engineered with DTS Headphone:X for virtual 7.1 surround sound and Pro-G audio drivers. It has a 15-hour battery life, and a wireless range of almost 50 feet. I tested the G533 for a week, playing console and PC titles, listening to music, and even using the headset in work meetings to see how well it performs in the real world.
Design: No flash necessary
The G533 doesn’t exactly have a slim profile. The peripheral as a whole is pretty bulky, as the headset measures almost 8 inches in height and about 7.5 inches wide. The rounded rectangular ear cups are fairly large too—measuring around four inches tall and about three inches wide, they’re large enough to completely cover the ears and create a suction effect that helps reduce background noise. The headset is all black, with only a small amount of branding. It has a small “G” symbol on the outside of each glossy surfaced ear cup. Aside from the glossy finish on the outside of the ear cups, the remaining parts of the headset have a matte-black finish. The design is simplistic, without too much flash, so the headset looks professional. The controls are intuitively placed on the left ear cup, and you can easily access the volume controls with your left hand without removing your right hand from the mouse during gameplay.
Comfort: Debatable
The G533 has thick ear pads and thick padding along the headband. The ear pads contain a rigid foam that’s covered in a fabric mesh (not vinyl). The headband adjusts up and down on each side, and the ear cups swivel to help you get the most comfortable fit. However, the G533’s overall comfort is debatable. When I first put on the headset, it felt pretty good. But, after wearing the set for a few hours, it started to feel uncomfortable underneath my ears (on my jaw and neck area in particular). I also felt as though it was pushing in on my glasses. I passed it off and had three other people try on the G533 for a few hours, and they had the same complaints. The headband is very stiff, so I attempted to wiggle it a bit to help loosen up the fit. The ear cup covers and the fabric mesh padding are removable for cleaning, so I removed the ear cuffs and attempted to loosen them up as well. After making these minor adjustments, the headset felt more comfortable to wear for long time periods.
Sound Quality: Absolutely top-notch
The G533’s sound quality is top-notch, though you’ll probably want to make a few adjustments to get the sound just the way you like it. But even out of the box, the G533 sounds great. With DTS Headphone:X for 7.1 surround sound and Pro-G drivers to optimize sound and minimize distortion, you can hear everything from gunfire to background sounds (like thunder roaring or helicopters flying). You can also hear from which direction these sounds are coming and even gauge distance. You can use stereo sound instead of surround, and you can make all sorts of adjustments in GHub (more on that later). The headphones have more than enough bass, with a frequency response of 20 Hz-20 KHz, and the sensitivity rating of 107 dB means they can get pretty loud without using a ton of power. The noise-cancelling microphone mutes automatically when you flip it up, but the red mute indicator light is a bit hard to see when the mic is in the up position because it’s located directly on the mic. I found myself leaning the headset off of my left ear, so I could see the indicator light and double-check to make sure the headset was really muted. I didn’t like that I couldn’t see the indicator light while wearing the G533 normally. When you communicate through the 4mm Pressure Gradient Electret Condenser Mic, the person on the other end can hear you clearly. The microphone has frequency response of 100Hz-20KHz, so it’s not as sensitive to lower frequencies (like air conditioners and other household background noises), but your voice comes through nice and clear. You can also configure the “sidetone” and tune your vocal volume while you listen.
Features: Customize with GHub software
The G533 wirelessly connects to your PC using a USB wireless adapter. It doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio jack, but the wireless connection is really good. It has a range of 15 meters (almost 50 feet), so you can walk around your house, or run to the kitchen and grab a snack without dropping connection (unless you live in a giant house). The battery lasts for 15 hours, which is pretty decent too. You can customize the G533 using Logitech’s GHub software. You can set equalizer settings, adjust the surround sound, adjust the microphone, and more. You can make these adjustments on a per-game basis or change them for the headset overall. The G533 has a physical mute button on the side, but you can change that in GHub and make it into a play/pause button, or assign it with a macro. This is helpful, especially considering you can already mute the headset by flipping the mic into the up position, and having two ways of muting the mic is a bit redundant.
Price: About $70 on sale
The Logitech G533’s retails for $150, but you can usually find it on sale for around half of that price. If you buy it at the sale price, it’s a really good value.
Logitech G533 vs SteelSeries Arctis 7
The SteelSeries Arctis 7, which also retails for $150, also has a 2.4G wireless connection and is equipped with DTS Headphone:X v2.0 surround sound. While the Arctic 7 has an impressive 24-hour battery life, which beats the G533’s 15 hour battery life, the G533 has a longer range (15 meters for the G533 vs. 12 meters for the Arctic 7). The Arctic 7 also has a bidirectional microphone instead of a unidirectional mic like the G533. The G533’s sound quality is phenomenal, but although it has an attractive look overall, it may require some minor adjustments to make it comfortable enough to wear for long periods.
