Fatal1ty FXM 200 Gaming Headset by Monster Review
Fatal1ty FXM200 Gaming Headset by Monster – Conclusion
The lightweight design of the FXM 200 headset, paired with the Fatal1ty branding and aesthetics, are going to be what draw most gamers to this headset. Coming it at $99.61 shipped right now at Amazon, the FXM 200 is a good headset with excellent features for gamers looking for a replacement this holiday season, but they don’t offer anything truly unique at this price point. We feel that even though the headset is lightweight, it is definitely durable and going to hold up to long-term gaming sessions. I felt more than comfortable wearing this headset for gaming sessions at my local Starbucks and their closed, on-ear nature definitely lends well to isolated sound that doesn’t leak out and bother your neighbors.
The design of the FXM 200 is excellent, with the flat cable staying out of the way and allowing for comfortable gaming sessions. The ControlTalk Universal box works well, allowing for volume control and microphone muting when using the headset with mobile devices. The removable microphone works well and sounds good, but there is very little chance I would use these headphones for strict music listening, so the value of the microphone being removable is slightly lost.
Monster knows how to make good use of plastic and they’ve done a good job of making the FXM 200 carry a metallic look. The steel headband on the headset allows for quite a bit of flex, but is durable. The padding on the ear pads and headband is adequate, though the leatherette ear pads were a bit stiff for our liking, but they were still extremely comfortable, especially for a set of on-ears. The eight-level adjustment for height adjustment worked very well and offered no play, only satisfying clicks. The ear cups were attached well to the headphone band and there was no weird flex or clicking of the hinges. Overall, the build quality here is good, especially when you take into account the 8 OZ. weight of this headset, with the boom mic attached. In fact, I’d say that these compare very well when you look at Monsters previous generation headsets, such as Beats, which had hinge-quality issues.
Without out-of-the-box PC compatibility, we feel that Monster is not catering to PC gamers first and foremost and that it is disrespectful to those who are aware and supportive of the Fatal1ty brand. We’ve been told that this will be addressed with future revisions of the unit and adapters are available for under $5, but we expect a product endorsed and marketed by one of the most well-known PC gamers of all time to actually be compatible with PC’s when we buy it off of the shelf. With that said, the FXM 200 offer great comfort over long-term gaming sessions and are a solid, no-frills gaming headset. The fHEX720 sound chamber in combination with the ear pad design definitely led to a live sounding headset with an emphasis on bass. Overall, the FXM 200 are a solid headset when you compare them to others in the arena, such as the Kingston Hyper X Cloud and Corsair Void. The sound quality is tuned properly for reactionary gaming and the FXM 200 are about as light as headsets get, if you’re looking for something comfortable to wear during all-night game sessions.
Legit Bottom Line: Monster has done a great job of producing a very comfortable, great sounding gaming headset that fits into an affordable price range with the Fatal1ty FXM 200. We just hope that they address the lack of off-the-shelf PC compatibility as quickly as possible.