Gioteck HC2+ gaming headset review

Have a read of our full review, where we will, hopefully, answer all the questions you have about the Gioteck HC2+.

Jump to:

• Gioteck HC2+ review: summary
• What is the Gioteck HC2+?
• How much is the Gioteck HC2+?
• Design
• Features
• Performance
• Gioteck HC2+ setup
• Our verdict
• Where to buy

Gioteck HC2+ review: summary

Don't expect to be blown away by the Gioteck HC2+ (and with the price, you shouldn't), but what you will get is a headset that performs fairly well - particularly with aspects of the microphone. We suspect that the look of it may be off-putting to some, though.

What is the Gioteck HC2+?

The Gioteck HC2+ is what we call a 'plug and play' headset, which means it comes with an audio cable that can plug into pretty much anything. You can connect it up to the controller of your console, the audio output of your PC, or even the audio jack on your mobile device (as long as your mobile device still has an audio jack, that is – lots of the iPhones don't have one anymore). This multipurpose headset could come in really handy, then.

How much is the Gioteck HC2+?

The Gioteck HC2+ retails at around £19.99, which is a fantastic price to pay to get your hands on a gaming headset. While it may feel its price in many ways, this is still worthy of consideration to purchase for the cost of it.

Gioteck HC2+ design

The Gioteck HC2+ is a bulky headset - far bulkier than it needs to be - and it creates a headset that looks a little strange. The earcups are a bizarre shape. They are sort of like a diamond shape but not quite, and they don't look appealing in the slightest - quite ugly if we're totally honest and likely enough to put some people off.

While the material used should mean that we have a comfy headset on our hands, they don't feel like they fit right. It didn't take long to start feeling a slight level of discomfort while wearing them - and we had to continually adjust them to try and improve the experience.

It is also far from sturdy, and it feels like it would not take much to break them. Normally we try bending headsets a tad to see how they hold up, but we refrained here after one attempt as it felt like they were about to give way, so definitely keep these out of the hands of young children if you want the headset to survive.

Gioteck HC2+ features

We do not really have much in the way of features to discuss when it comes to the Gioteck HC2+ - but that is hardly surprising for something you can buy getting a bit of change from a £20 note.

The microphone is detachable, which was a pleasant surprise - we felt sure it would be stuck in place - and the wire that you get to connect to your device is a generous enough length that should suit more setups than it doesn't.

As for volume control, there is a little gadget halfway down the connection wire that you can use to adjust it, but it is quite rigid and feels cheap and, like the rest of the headset build, like it could break quite easily.

Gioteck HC2+ performance

We have to be honest – the audio you will get from the Gioteck HC2+ is not the best out there, and it is not going to blow anyone away. But then was it ever going to? The cost of this headset is so low that to expect a mindblowing performance would be unrealistic and what we have is something that is serviceable and gets the job done - it just doesn't dazzle as it does it.

There was no way something this cheap was going to deliver the audio goods, but for the casual gamer who is not too fussed about having the best quality, this is still worthy of some consideration and falls firmly into the 'cheap and cheerful' category of headsets. The volume is loud, which is a plus, but things like vocals do suffer - although listening to music and trying a film out with them was actually better than we expected.

One thing that did surprise us, though, was the bass with packs far more of a punch than we ever expected it to. It's not the best out there, but we were ready for it to be poor, and that is certainly not the case. The microphone was another surprise - again, it is not amazing, but it actually performed better than many more expensive headsets we have tried out, with the exception of noise-cancelling, which is virtually non-existent.

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Gioteck HC2+ setup

Very simply, all you need to do to get the Gioteck HC2+ working is to plug it into your device of choice, and away you go! There is nothing fancy you need to do and no settings that need to be played around with - simple!

Our verdict: Should you buy the Gioteck HC2+?

The more hardcore gamers among us will likely not get much from the Gioteck HC2_ as it will not deliver the sound quality you would expect and are probably used to - even if you may find the mic is strangely superior in certain ways. But if you are a casual gamer who just wants a headset for the odd occasion they would use it, then this would absolutely be a smart purchase - you have little to no chance of getting a better headset for the same price let alone cheaper.

Review scores:

• Set-up: 5 /5
• Design: 2 / 5
• Features: 3 / 5
• Performance: 3.5 / 5
• Value for money: 5 / 5
• Overall star rating: 3.3 / 5

Where to buy the Gioteck HC2+

The Gioteck HC2+ gaming headset is out now, so you should be able to find it at most major retailers, including GAME. If you're looking to save a few quid, check out our handy deals widget below, which should compile the best prices it can find from around the web. If our review has convinced you to make a purchase, click away and grab one of these while they last.

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If you’re looking for more audio reviews, don’t miss our best soundbar and best wireless earbuds round-ups.