Headsets are fickle beasts.

Some might be great to some people, while others might hate them. Some might be good for sports, but suck at leisure listening.

Then there are the select few, which are great at gaming…and only gaming.

Which criteria does Plantronics’ RIG 800HD fall under?

Read on and find out!

What is the Plantronics RIG 800HD?

The Plantronics RIG 800HD headset’s a wireless gaming headset meant for the PC. However, it’s also compatible with the PS4 and Xbox One.

The headset comes with Dolby Atmos, is stated to last at least 24 hours, has a 10 meter range and comes with an flip microphone. It charges via micro USB (same as the PS4 and Xbox One controllers).

For all this, the Plantronics RIG 800HD retails for $174.99.

How does it feel?

To use them, you have to attach a wireless dongle via USB and digital (TOSLINK) cable, which is pretty standard fare.

The headset itself is pretty light, owing to its plastic frame but that ironically also means it feels (and looks) a bit cheap. Despite its premium pricing, the all plastic frame makes it look like a cheaper, low quality headset, which is pretty sad.

Overlook that though and you’ll find the headset’s actually pretty decent. The cups are cushioned with a thick foam, making them VERY comfortable to wear.

Controls are on the left cup, with volume being an easy reach once you’re aware of where it is. The microphone’s also on the same cup and it can be raised and lowered to turn it on and off. The quality’s pretty good so if you’re worried about voice quality, set your mind at ease.

The charging port’s also on the left cup, but it’s placed much lower than the other controls, which allows you to charge your headset while you’re wearing it so make sure to get a lengthy cable!

Adjusting the headset’s done via notches built in to the frame itself.

It’s honestly a weird adjustment method and takes too much time, especially if you’re adjusting it on the fly. I just wish the headset’s gone the route of nearly every other headset known to man; with an adjustable band.

There IS a neat flexible band in the headset, though it’s mostly there to hold the headset in place when you’re wearing it.

I’ve used them daily over the past week or so, for hours at a go and not once did I feel discomfort. They’re about as comfortable as my SONY WH-1000XM2 noise cancelling headphones, which is a pretty good thing.

Unlike the SONY headphones, the Plantronics RIG 800HD aren’t noise cancelling so noise will still filter in. I’ve found that they still do a decent job cancelling out normal noises when there’s audio coming out of them.

Nectar for the ears.

Speaking of audio, the headset certainly deliver on that front.

Whether it’s on the PS4, Xbox One or PC, the sound’s awesome. Dolby Atmos certainly amps up the audio prowess of the headset, giving you a much more encompassing sense of sound. I tested Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Gears 5 and Overwatch with the headset and each was a pleasure to play.

Breakpoint in particular should be singled out for its punchy gunfire. The sniper rifles and DMRs (particularly the M82 and SVD) sound positively delicious when fired! If you’re firing in a wide open area, I can almost swear you’d hear an echo.

Finally, the headset lasts just shy of 22 hours for me, a bit below the 24 hours claimed by Plantronics. However, it’s not really a deal breaker anyways as I’ve always at my desk (if playing on a PC) or near a charging cable (if I’m gaming on consoles), which means a recharge is never far.

The downside is that there’s no wired input, so you can’t be using the headset if it’s dead and you don’t have a cable handy. It’s a weird oversight (especially since the receiver might die a few years down the road), and one that I wish the RIG 800HD had covered.

The bottom line.

The Plantronics RIG 800HD is a great Dolby Atmos headset, though it does come with a few drawbacks.

The main one’s not having wired input. Not only would that make it usable on a lot more devices (like the Nintendo Switch) but it’d make it usable in case anything happened to the Bluetooth transmitter base unit.

The other one’s not so major but not being able to adjust the headset on the fly is a pain. Using tabs wastes time and makes minute adjustments impossible, you’re stuck with the headset doesn’t fit you perfectly.

That’s not to say the Plantronics RIG 800HD is a lost cause; far from it. Its great sound (thanks to Dolby Atmos), comfy cushions (on both the cups and headband), decent battery life and easy access buttons make it a great headset to gamers willing to spend for quality.

We’re betting those same gamers would spend a bit more too, if Plantronics updated the design and added in our nitpicks!

TLDR:

Great headset with a few issues.

The Good.
– Great sound with Dolby Atmos.
– Usable on multiple platforms.
– Comfortable wearing for extended periods.

The Bad.
– No 3.5mm input.
– Weird adjustment method.
– Looks cheap.

Sal's been in the industry since the early 2000s. He's written for a ton of gaming and tech publications including Playworks, Hardwarezone, HWM and GameAxis. Recently, Sal served as a juror for the Indie Game Awards at Taipei Game Show 2020. A geek and hardcore gamer, Sal will play everything, on any platform.