The JBL Quantum ONE gaming headphones are a nice pair of wired headphones. They’re JBL’s current flagship model of Quantum-branded gaming headsets. They share many similarities with the JBL Quantum 800 Wireless and wired-only JBL Quantum 400, including the QuantumSphere 360 virtual surround sound feature. When it comes to casual usage, they aren’t remarkably adaptable. But the feature-rich JBL Quantum Engine software does provide a variety of gaming-oriented configuration options. They also have a well-balanced sound profile and a detachable boom microphone with excellent overall performance.
And it’s not just for one console. This headset is flexible, with both a 3.5mm headphone cable and a USB audio mixer included in the package. However, you have to play on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. The Quantum One isn’t ideal, but it’s an attractive solution if you want wireless audio on all your consoles and spatial audio on your PC.
What we will see here?
Design of JBL Quantum One
The JBL Quantum ONE headphones appear to be gaming headphones. They’re more extensive than the JBL Quantum 800, with thicker ear cups and a broader, more comfortable headband. Their ear cups are less polished plastic than the 800; fingerprints make them less visible. They also include an RGB lighting design focused on the ear cups and a chrome-finish logo that can be changed using the included software. Despite its high audio output, the JBL Quantum One is light and pleasant to use, never feeling like it’s weighing you down or causing neck pain. Overall, they’ll make a statement in any casual situation.
The Quantum One’s sleek appearance is incredibly eye-catching, and the JBL logo is displayed on both headphones. We are connecting the USB mixer, and having them light up in every spectrum color just added to their attractiveness. We wish the capability were available when wearing them on a console, but the USB mixer currently does not work with the Xbox One or PlayStation 4.
That’s probably the most significant flaw we found with the JBL Quantum One headset: it works with all consoles. But it’s not as steady or as excellent sounding as it is with a PC. However, the 3.5 mm headphone line on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (but not the Nintendo Switch) allows voice chat. However, we had significantly more technical troubles on the console than when the USB mixer was hooked into the PC.
Performance of JBL Quantum One
The JBL Quantum One reminds us of the LucidSound LS50X in terms of performance, fitting precisely around the ears and blocking out most outside noise. Furthermore, the audio is close to the finest due to the fantastic adjustable surround sound. In a gaming headset, we’ve ever heard every minute detail coming through clean and clear.
Quantum One’s spatial audio technology is impressive. However, it didn’t always match the direction we were facing, which detracted from the immersion. Thankfully, the device has a small button that resets the function. So all we had to do was look straight ahead and press the button, resolving the problem.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only issue we had with the headphones: the right earphone would sometimes cut out, needing a repositioning of the socket in the controller’s port, and the microphone wouldn’t pick up our voice until we were almost eating it. Voices coming in felt muffled even with the console’s settings maximized, which might be because we tried an early model.
When the in-game audio was working correctly, with surround and spatial sound intact, the JBL Quantum One headset was the most fantastic choice for consoles. But these minor flaws prohibited it from being the best all-around choice for consoles.
Features and Software
The JBL Quantum Engine software requires 177MB of storage space and is the only area where spatial audio and head tracking may be enabled. There’s also an equalizer, microphone settings, RGB lighting, and saving several presets, among other things. The software is sophisticated enough without being off-putting. However.
You are adding your height and head diameter to the advanced tuning of JBL’s surround sound technology. However, the calibration procedure was not complete, likely because the headset had not yet begun delivery. We were able to use the headset’s re-centering capability, which is also accessible via the left earcup. Before you press your left mouse button, it instructs you to stare at a bull’s eye in the middle of the screen.
You can adjust the level of game audio vs. chat audio using software or the dial supplied with the USB cord. However, it is the dial that you will want to utilize. It’s simple to use and feels luxurious to the touch. It’s even somewhat weighted and has a rubber base. It kept it from slipping during my testing, even during hard gaming sessions. Balanced game chat is Discord-certified and works with other services such as Skype and TeamSpeak.
Some usable features
The control arrangement of the JBL Quantum ONE is straightforward to utilize. Although they give an audible beep to indicate the lowest and maximum volume, volume control relies on an endless scroll wheel, which isn’t optimal in terms of physical feedback. This is next to a special re-centering button for the head-tracking feature. The boom microphone has a flip-to-mute part, which is also quite helpful.
When using a USB cable and an in-line dock, you may effortlessly switch audio channels. Other important roles, however, are less evident. The same button controls a secondary mute input and RGB lighting activation, like ANC and talk-through. It’s also worth noting that the control technique for activating talk-through and ANC is inverted, with one click of the switch turning on ANC and a 2-second push enabling talk-through. This is the polar opposite of what their instruction manual suggests.
Conclusion
The JBL Quantum One is the famous brand’s first step into gaming headphones. It makes some questionable design decisions and might be uncomfortable on larger heads. On the other hand, the ear cushions are made of beautiful leather, and the RGB implementation is bold and unique.
If you overlook it, the Quantum One’s audio is crisp and clear, bringing out finer nuances in games and music, such as the different crunching noises footfall might make depending on how melting the snow on the land is. The Orbit S doesn’t have all of its capabilities, such as TalkThru, game-chat dial/control, or RGB.
If you purchase the Quantum One, do it for the solid build, higher overall audio performance, and maybe the RGB and welcome software. JBL isn’t quite there yet if you require game-changing head tracking to justify the $300 price tag.
