Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of the Austrian Audio PG16 or Austrian Audio themselves; you will today.
Made up of former AKG employees after their Vienna offices closed.
Austrian Audio was founded. Following an overwhelmingly positive first pair of audiophile-grade headphones.
With the PG16 Pro Gaming Headset, Austrian Audio has entered the world of gaming headsets.
Does their wealth of audio expertise translate into gaming? Continue reading to find out.
If you’re looking for high-quality gaming headsets, you can read some of our previous reviews here.
Control and Design
The Austrian Audio PG16’s packaging immediately stands out in comparison to other headsets.
It comes in a slightly larger box wrapped in an exclusive Austrian Audio velcro strap.
The first thing you notice when opening and picking up the PG16 is how light the headset is.
With a weight of only 265g, it is the most lightweight gaming headset on the market. Typically, this means sacrificing build quality or materials.
Not so much here, as the PG16 feels quite premium despite its lightweight.
The body is primarily made of high-gloss plastic that attracts fingerprints.
The earcups are made of matte black plastic. While the red metal accents look great and aren’t overpowering like so many other gamer headsets.
Metal on the headband strap and metal earcup hinges, both of which are prone to wear.
This is a smart move by Austrian Audio that gives you peace of mind about the headset’s longevity.
The PG16 can also be folded up and comes with its own handy little soft carry case. The standard for carrying with you when travelling.
The PG16 is extremely comfortable for its size. One of the most comfortable headsets we’ve ever seen.
The headband and earcups have soft memory foam padding, which is just the right amount for me.
The metal adjustable headband has notches to keep it in place even during vigorous movements.
It’s also nice to see that the earcups have plenty of space. Many headphones nowadays have far too small earcups.
Connection
When it comes to connectivity, the Austrian Audio PG16 is a simple wired headset.
There is no Bluetooth, nor are there any other features. It comes with a 1.4m long 3.5mm jack cable.
A 3.5mm splitter is also included. When connected to multiple sources on the PC, everything worked flawlessly.
The included 3.5mm cable is universal and can be used on virtually any platform, including all current consoles.
Performance and Sound
The PG16 employs Austrian Audio’s own 44mm high excursion dynamic drivers, resulting in a frequency response of 12-24,000Hz.
They are 113dB sensitive and have a very low impedance of 25 ohms. That is, they can be powered by anything and produce extremely high volumes with ease.
Austrian Audio’s proprietary drivers are the same ones used in their much more expensive and excellent HI-X55 and HI-X65 headphones.
Packing this technology into the PG16 at such a low price is nothing short of impressive.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Austrian Audio PG16 performs admirably in terms of audio. Its sound has a natural, almost analytical accuracy to it.
We genuinely believe that there are no better-sounding gaming headsets available at this price. Austrian Audio clearly knows what they’re doing.
The lack of features is a minor disadvantage of keeping costs low and focusing solely on audio quality.
If Austrian Audio adds those few missing features, they will undoubtedly be on to the next best thing. If you enjoy both music and gaming, I highly recommend checking out the PG16.
It won’t break the bank at € 149,00, and you get a sound that punches way above its weight. The Thumb Culture Gold Award goes to the Austrian Audio PG16 Pro Gaming Headset!
Read More: Open AI Sora: Revolutionizing AI Video Generation