Fatal1ty FXM 200 Gaming Headset by Monster Review

Fatal1ty FXM200 Gaming Headset by Monster – A Closer Look

The FXM200 have very attractive outer ear cups, featuring a silver and black metallic design with the Fatal1ty logo in the center. Though this design features plastic to save weight, Monster has done a good job of giving it a clean metallic look. The upper half of the outer ear cups have a textured pattern on them. We think that these earcups look attractive, without being too over the top, a problem with some gaming-oriented products.

The earcups are secured very nicely, with two attachment points on the earcup itself that offer a nice range of adjustment. Although the Monster Fatal1ty FXM 200 are lightweight, the certainly feel durable, with the hinges and adjustment points all offering satisfying points of adjustment. The FXM 200 really stand out as being quite good looking in a sea of gaudy gaming headsets and I’d have no qualms wearing these around town.

The FXM 200 offer eight levels of height adjustment on the headband. I have a big noggin’ and found that either the fourth or fifth adjustment point was optimal, so these headphones should work well for those with pretty large heads.

The inner band has the Fatal1ty logo featured, along with text on each earphone to let you know which ear it is designated for. The inner band is quite durable, with two rivet points up top holding the top and bottom of the band together.

The FXM 200 earcups are made of a burgundy colored leatherette material that breathes fairly well, while offering good noise isolation. Long use of the FXM 200 didn’t result in the material sticking to my face, or ears, which is a common issue with materials like this. These earcups also do a good job of just barely sitting on the outside of my ears, offering an almost on-ear experience.

The padding on the upper pad is adequate, though we do feel there could be more, as pushing the headset down lightly allowed our head to come into contact with the plastic on the sides. Since the headset is so light, very little weight/strain is put on the upper band, so this protection is fully adequate over time. The upper band also features a lightweight aluminum strip going across it to aid with rigidity and headphone durability, yet the FXM 200 still clocks in at 8 OZ, even with the boom mic attached.

The FXM200 microphone uses a standard 3.5mm jack, but Monster has put a unique key-shape connector on the outside so that the mic can click into the headphone securely.

The boom mic included with the FXM200 works quite well and offers a nice amount of flexibility.

The ControlTalk Universal box works quite well, offering up volume control and the ability to mute the microphone via a button. There is a clip with the Monster logo on the back of the unit so that it can be clipped to you for easy access at all times. The cable length of the FXM 200 is four feet, making it optimal for mobile phone and console use, but I feel that it falls a bit short for use with PC’s, which may be several feet away from the user. It is a compromise, as it is likely a bit too long for console gaming, while remaining a bit short for PC gaming.

The volume control slide is easy to use, though there is a lack of feedback to let you know if you are adjusting it.

There is a single 3.5mm connector at the end of the FXM200, which is why it needs a splitter for PC compatibility. This connector has somewhat thick plastic around the sides, which may interfere with some cell phone cases and not allow the headset to be plugged in. I experienced this issue with the Lifeproof case on my IPhone 6.

There we have it. The FXM200 is a lightweight gaming headset with a couple tricks up it’s sleeve in the way of the control box. There isn’t any RGB settings, unique sound configurations, software or other stuff to look at with this headset. In contrast with the recently reviewed MasterPulse Pro from CoolerMaster, which offer unique features like convertible open/closed earcups and RGB lighting, the FXM 200 are decidedly subdued.