V-Moda BoomPro X overview: flip your favorite headphones into the categorical gaming or Zoom headset

There’s one thing to be said for low rate, simple objects. The BoomPro is an amazing theory that’s carried out almost completely. With a single cable, you safe a microphone (with a flexible arm for easy repositioning), volume controls, and a quiet swap. It ought to replace for the 3.5mm audio cable that you’d in general toddle into your favorite wireless headphones, at as soon as reworking them correct into a essential better verbal exchange instrument.

For years now, I’ve been the spend of V-Moda’s BoomPro microphone to grunt with folks while gaming. At some stage in the pandemic, I’ve also regularly inclined the $35 accessory to provide a increase to the audio quality on my quit of conference calls — when I don’t are attempting to trouble with my desk-mounted Rode microphone, that is.

This week, V-Moda launched a brand contemporary evolution of that idea: the $45 BoomPro X has a tweaked safe, revamped mic, and more streamlined controls. Nonetheless otherwise it sticks largely to the same system. You’d toddle it in whilst you’re sitting down for some multiplayer or joining a Zoom assembly, and then staunch detach the cable whenever you’re carried out and spend your headphones like long-established. Antlion’s ModMic products are an identical in theory, however they spend a magnetic attachment.

The most productive facet of the BoomPro X is its versatility. You’d instantly convert any headphones you already like correct into a gaming or conference call headset. Sure, V-Moda would admire for you to make spend of it with the firm’s like headphones — however it’ll work equally properly with various pairs like Sony’s WH-1000XM4 or Microsoft’s Floor Headphones 2. As long as you’ve got headphones with a removable 3.5mm cable, you’re all thunder.

Some headsets (like those from Bose) spend a smaller 2.5mm jack, however even then, it is most likely you’ll spend a 2.5mm-to-3.5mm adapter to safe the BoomPro X working. USB-C adapters work fine too. In many cases, the spend of the headphones you already admire will also give you better sound quality than you’d safe attempting to search out a single-purpose gaming headset.

When when compared with the long-established BoomPro, V-Moda has made a range of changes. The most important distinction is the kind of microphone being inclined: to inspire carve inspire background noise, it’s now a cardioid unidirectional mic that’s designed to most productive uncover up sound coming from wherever it’s pointed. The older BoomPro inclined an omnidirectional mic, which allowed more ambient sound to return by technique of. Nonetheless now your direct needs to be better remoted when on work calls or in the center of a aggravating Call of Responsibility: Warzone match. I’ve regularly got either an air conditioner working or a fan blasting to fight the Fresh York summer heat, and they’re not conclude to as audible in my recordings with the contemporary mic to this level.

When it involves mic audio quality, the BoomPro X with out a doubt isn’t going to attain a correct podcasting setup or official microphone. It appears to decide on decrease frequencies and lacks some crispness. Nonetheless it’s indubitably constructive, and likewise you’ll safe essential better results than you in general would by technique of the constructed-in mics on wireless headphones. The deny arm makes the total distinction for readability, and likewise you don’t have to alarm about nearby noise that your laptop laptop’s mics would uncover up at some stage in a work assembly. In my checks on each and each PS5 and Xbox Series X, everyone said my direct came by technique of loud and constructive with out any tense audio direct or various distractions.

The onboard controls like also been redesigned and downsized. They now look essential nearer to the inline controls on many headphone cables, and the housing is much thinner and lighter. The outmoded controls had been so sizable that V-Moda integrated a non-removable clip for attaching the plastic to your dresses, however that’s long past — and so is the occasional pull/slide you’d if truth be told feel from the old, heavier controls.

Nonetheless the controls themselves like also changed. As an different of a dial for adjusting headphone volume, V-Moda switched to a slider. It does the job, however one thing referring to the dial felt more natural to me. On the numerous facet is a quiet swap, which works precisely as you’d query. Since each and each of the controls now spend an identical slider buttons, it’s laborious to distinguish between them by if truth be told feel, which is one other purpose I most popular the outmoded volume knob. Nonetheless I don’t mediate V-Moda had essential of a ramification pondering how essential smaller the contemporary controls are.

The BoomPro X cable is shorter than the long-established, however in the sector you safe an extension cable whilst you want more length between your machine and the headphones. (Both the long-established cable and extension are every 1 meter in length.) I love that, since you don’t constantly need a ton of extra wire whilst you’re plugging correct into a game controller or nearby laptop laptop. There’s also a Y-adapter integrated. Fresh for the BoomPro X, V-Moda also throws in 5 various little microphone covers in various colors: this firm is identified for its customization and personalized ear cup shields, however the mic covers are procedure more subtle.

I’ve loved the BoomPro ample to care for it in my headphones case for a if truth be told very long time, and I’m even happier with the BoomPro X due to the improved, unidirectional mic. That’s with out distress rate the $10 extra, and in return I safe a simple machine that leaves me sounding better when I’m gaming or working from home — all with the headphones I’d be wearing anyway.

Pictures by Chris Welch / The Verge