Tech Review | Snakebyte Headset S

During the last holiday season we received a lot of gear to cover, but due to the large amount of items we received along with other factors, some were delayed coverage. Among the delayed product reviews was the Snakebyte Headset S for the Nintendo Switch. This wired headset is primarily the same as Snakebytes other headsets in this line just with red highlights.

Manufacturer listed Technical Specs:

• Removable mic with flexible design allows for a tailored fit and optional use
• 40mm speakers perform at an optimal level of sound quality
• Cushioned ear cups allow for comfort and noise isolation
• Volume control is attached to a 1.2 m long cable for easy access
• Design matches the Switch color scheme

What Do You Really Get?

The headset we received arrived in perfect condition, which meant that our experience with it will likely mirror yours. The device comes in very neat minimalistic packaging with not too much paperwork. Included in the package is the headset itself, a detachable mic with pop filter covering, and an extension cable. All of the components were surprisingly good quality. The cups are made of a soft fabric, with the rest of the device being made up of plastic and some sort of leathery material.

The cable is lightweight and so is the rest of the product for that matter. In a way it sort of rides the line of feeling cheap yet sturdy. The audio quality from the mic is also surprisingly good too. It’s not going to replace a quality recording mic, but for playing multiplayer online or chatting over a call it should suffice.

With the Nintendo Switch being a simi-portable device, it should come a prerequisite that any accessory for it should travel well. The Snakebyte Headset S fulfills that requirement with ease thanks to a foldable design. It does feel like it’s about to break every time it’s folded, but that’s just a side effect of the quality of plastic used in its construction. Also due to the way in which the headset folding hinges are designed, you can likely expect them to wear down over time and not stay folded out on their own.

Stick to the consoles

With its 3.5mm jack, the Snakebyte Headset S both suffers and benefits from the same issues present with other wired headsets. These include electronic noise when using standard 3.5mm ports on PCs and laptops. The best recommendation if you wish to use this with a PC is to get a Noise Isolator or a high quality sound card. The cable will also rub against your appendages, but thanks to it being both light and smooth, it shouldn’t intrude on your comfort too much.

That being said, this is a device designed for use with a console. It has easy to access volume controls along with a mute switch for multiplayer purposes on the cable. In our console tests, we used it with the Nintendo Switch and PS4. Both times it performed well. Sound is clear with just the right amount of base, oh and that’s a bit of an understatement. A more accurate account of how these headset sound would be spectacular. Yup, these are some really great sounding headsets, and if not for a single issue they’d be perfect.

The Comfort Factor

The issue in question is related to the comfort of wearing these headsets. Though they’re very lightweight and comfortable in some ways, the design of the cups will not appeal to most. The cups are quite small and they rest on top of the earlobes, pressing down in an incrementally painful way. At first they’ll likely feel fine, but any more than about 10 to 15 minutes and they’ll overstay their welcome. This discomfort can be even more egregious for those who wear glasses as the frames will rest between the earlobes your skull, and the pressure of the headset. Now it should be noted that some people may not have the same issue. This may be related to the shape of their earlobes, or their individual pain index.

Final Verdict

At a MSRP of $20 USD it’s difficult to recommend any other headset over the Snakebyte Headset S in the budget department. The superb value offered from its audio quality as well as its price is difficult to beat. Only the Lucidsound LS20s beat it for budget value, and that’s only because they’re usually discounted around $30 USD on Amazon. Disqualifying discounts, this is the budget king of gaming headsets. The high power 40mm Neodymium drivers deliver richly detailed audio, while the removable mic is fully flexible and extremely accurate with its vocal reproduction. Package in the extra-long 1.2 metre cable features a in-line volume control, allowing for easy audio level adjustments. For Switch owners this is ideal for dock or table-top mode. The one and only flaw that should be considered is the comfort offered by the ear cups.

The Snakebyte Headset S used for this review was provided to us by its manufacturer Snakebyte.