Logitech G435 Gaming Headset review: Must-have for PC gamers | Wearables Reviews

Logitech G435 Gaming Headset review: Must-have for PC gamers

The Logitech G435 Gaming Headset at Rs. 7,495 is a great investment for PC gamers wanting a comfy pair of headphones. 

By: AMRITANSHU MUKHERJEE
| Updated on: Aug 21 2022, 23:16 IST
Logitech G435
The Logitech G435 comes at a price 7,495 in India and is available in three colours. (Amritanshu / HT Tech)
Logitech G435
The Logitech G435 comes at a price 7,495 in India and is available in three colours. (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

As soon as I mention the term “gaming headphones”, the most common notion that comes to mind is some bulky pair of cans with mic booms and cables clogging your neck. These factors are sometimes a major turn off for the interested ones, especially within a budget of Rs. 10,000. Logitech, however, brings a fresh product that answers all these concerns and while doing that, looks funky without relying on RGB lighting.

The Logitech G435 has been around for a while in global markets and it now comes to India at a price of Rs. 7,495. For casual gamers looking to invest in dedicated audio gear for the first time, this is a relatively accessible price. And it's not that the G435 is barren in terms of features: it's got Logitech's LightSpeed wireless feature, good battery life, and a funky design with eye-catching colours.

Is it worth buying? After spending two weeks with the G435, here's what's what.

Logitech G435 Design

Logitech has been insisting that the G435 is meant for comfort and ease-of-use. And that is evident as soon as you wear it. The Logitech G435 is one of the few over-the-ear headphones I have worn in a long time that feels like nothing! Literally nothing! The lightweight plastic frame coupled with the soft-touch fabric around the headband and the cushy earcups make for a very comfortable wear.

Logitech G435
Logitech G435 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)
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Logitech G435 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

In fact, the G435's lightweight chassis makes it almost invisible even after four hours of continuous gaming. I once wore it for an entire office day without realizing it's on my head!

Out of the three colour combos, the one I had wore the blue-white colour combo; not the ideal choice for gamers. The white bits have accumulated dirt in a dusty cold Noida while the blue fabric around the headband picks up oil and sweat. After just 3 days of use, my G435 unit did not look as pristine as it was out of the box.

I also have a gripe with the controls. The playback, volume, power, and mute keys are difficult to reach, and it takes a lot of memorization to figure out what does what. It could surely have done with simpler button layout.

Logitech G435 Performance

Being a gaming headset, the G435 performs well considering its price tag. I found the overall soundstage pretty well balanced, with equal emphasis towards the mids, lows and highs. For example, while playing Forza Horizon 5, the rampant thumping V8 exhaust notes from a Ford Mustang and a Mercedes AMG E63 come across through the G435 with all the grunt the way this game wants you to listen. There's ample bass but it never feels heavy.

Logitech G435
Logitech G435 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)
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Logitech G435 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

And then there's the clarity in the highs. As long as you keep the volume under 60 percent, there's no distortion noticeable with voices. The best example came while playing F1 2021, where the high-pitched whine of the turbocharged hybrid V6 motor sounds just right, despite the “race engineer” Jeff trying to sabotage your race with an unnecessary pitstop.

The balanced soundstage also does wonders while listening to music. There's a comfortable sense of space and despite playing with the equalizer, the G435 kept the bass and treble under control. Those looking for a meaty low-end should elsewhere.

There's no active noise cancellation here and the passive isolation is weak to be precise. Wearing the headphones with 50 percent volume, I was able to listen to chirping birds on the balcony, or the doorbell. On the plus side, it makes for a very liberating wearing experience, with no pressure build-up.

Part of the G435's appeal comes from the LightSpeed tech. With wireless headphones, latency is a big deal and that's something you don't want while gaming. The LightSpeed tech from Logitech eliminates that with its separate USB dongle. Plug it into the laptop/PC, switch the headphone to LightSpeed mode by long-pressing the mute key, and voila! You have almost zero-latency wireless audio. There's no lag between what you see on the screen and what you hear. And despite a multitude of wireless devices nearby, the connection stays strong.

Logitech G435
Logitech G435 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)
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Logitech G435 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

When connected via Bluetooth, there's some latency and I recommend it only for listening to music or taking calls via your smartphone. The connectivity in Bluetooth mode is strong and despite toying with the 10 meters radius limitation with walls in-between, the G435 held on to its connection.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for the microphone quality. The beam-forming mic technology is good enough for taking calls on the move but the voice reception quality is far from what you get with a dedicated mic boom. It's not a deal breaker though, especially if you aren't into eSports.

Logitech G435 Battery life

Logitech claims up to 18 hours of battery life and while that is difficult to measure, I was able to extract up to a full week, with a mix of 4-hour and 2-hour sessions of gaming, and 2-hours of average on calls as well as music. Sadly, it takes over two hours to fully charge when the LED light blinks red.

Verdict

Logitech G435
Logitech G435 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)
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Logitech G435 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

The Logitech G435 is a well-balanced package for PC gamers seeking to go wireless at a reasonable price. This is one of the most comfortable headsets at this price and the LightSpeed wireless connectivity with its zero latency is is one big reason for gamers to consider this. 

The audio quality is decent and so is the battery life, although the latter could have been better. The beamforming virtual mics are decent but lack the clarity of a boom mic arrangement on most other gaming headphones.

On the whole, the Logitech G435 is a great investment for casual gamers seeking a pair of comfortable wireless headphones at a reasonable price. Non-gamers looking for a comfortable pair of wireless headphones in this price can also consider this, provided bass is not a major criteria.

Rating
4 out of 5
Price
INR 7,495/-
Product Name
Logitech G435
Brand Name
Logitech
Pros
  • Comfortable to wear
  • Almost zero latency while gaming
  • Good Audio quality
Cons
  • Mic quality
  • Battery life could be better
  • Tricky to use controls
Specifications
  • Battery Life
    Up to 8 hours
  • ANC
    No
  • Drivers
    40mm
  • Microphones
    Dual beamforming virtual

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First Published Date: 12 Jan, 19:06 IST
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