Having been a longtime fan of flight simulators in general and especially great peripherals to go with them (I still remember my original CH Products flight yoke fondly), I could not pass up taking a look at Saitek’s new Proflight Headset.
On a looks basis alone you would think you were sitting in a 737 getting ready to take off. They have been designed with that style of headset in mind and feature a (mostly) metal construction with screws, knobs, and cables. The shiny black metal contrasting with the chrome parts just look incredible and very realistic.
The headset’s construction is top-notch and as it turns out is relatively heavy for a headset. This, however, adds to the realistic feel it provides. The boom microphone features multiple axis of movement for comfort and the best sound receiving possible, while on the left ear cup you will find a large rotary knob which controls the volume. The Proflight Headset cables to the standard 3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks for compatibility. There is no special software required here, just plug in and fly.
Something that was of the utmost concern to me was the sound quality the headset would provide. Often times companies will skimp on the functional to go with the flashy. Not so in this case as the Proflight Headset offers great sound quality. Don’t quote me on this, but it would not surprise me (based on sound quality) if they were using drivers from their Cyborg-line of headset. In any event, you will not be disappointed, although with their bulk they are far more suited to flying around the world as opposed to easy listening.
Undoubtedly, the biggest issue I encountered was the squeeze felt on my large noggin. I have a big head and the Proflight Headset felt very tight on it, the huge ear cushions squeezing my ears like a python. They are meant to be snug, mind you, but beware ye of large headed-ness! I felt a wave of disappointed come over me along with a headache, that is, until I applied gentle pressure to the headband thereby adjusting its curve. After that, it was nothing but smooth sailing for my ears, which now felt just the right amount of pressure, the large ear cups providing the noise-canceling effect they were designed to do.
Like the rest of the Proflight line, these are not cheap, retailing for $99 dollars in most outlets. However, if you want to top off your flight sim experience with an extra dose of realism, as well as good sound quality, these bad boys are for you. Saitek’s Proflight Headset gets two thumbs up from us! That is, if we were to rate products with that scale of measurement.
