PDP AG 6 Headset Review

PDP AG 6 Headset

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Performance Design Products has released a number of headsets over the last few years, and to date, none of their recent products have compared to the outstanding AG 9+ they released a few years ago. That’s not to say their other products are bad; far from it, as PDP always releases quality products that customers are bound to love. With my AG 9+ reaching the end of their life cycle – over hundreds of hours of use mind you – it was time to look at something else from PDP. Enter the PDP AG 6 Headset. Will it replace my older pair? Let’s take a look!

The AG 6 Stereo headset form PDP comes in at a modest 49.99 on Amazon.com, and for that price, you are getting into the lower level of gaming headsets. That being said, be priced at the lowest tier doesn’t necessarily mean you are in for a bad experience, but one that might lack the bells and whistles of more expensive models. The majority of gamers aren’t looking to spend over $100 on a headset for their systems, so most companies – PDP included – have begun working on cheaper headsets that fit a casual gamers budget while still providing a superior audio experience. Just by maintaining the 50mm drivers, PDP is off to a good start with the AG 6.

Build Quality

From a design perspective, PDP really hasn’t removed much from their higher end, more expensive models. The earcups are still padded very nicely, with the small holes throughout to increase ear flow around your the cups, and reduce that sweaty residue that seems to often build up after long hours. The removable microphone is also noice canceling, a feature many companies remove from their lower end models to help reduce the cost of manufacturing. It’s nice to see PDP keeping this feature in on their sub $50 set, as a noise canceling microphone todays is almost necessary for clear, online interactions.

The band around the top is where you can tell PDP has cut back a few costs, but still, their is a good amount of comfort here that will be unnoticeable for an hour or two. Again, since PDP is obviously going for the casual fan here, I doubt more than a few hours at any given time will allow for discomfort to set in. I did use these for 3-4 hours while playing Assassin’s Creed Origins, however, and the tight fit and plastic headband ultimately became a problem. That being said, I have an abnormally large head and was using these much longer than I’m sure PDP every imagined. For reference, my wife used them for an hour or so while playing Cuphead, and did not experience any long lasting pain.

The inline remote on the AG 6 is pretty plain, only offering a mute and volume button, but does the trick none-the-less, and is a feature that not all headsets in this price range will have included. Score a point for PDP here. While that feature remains in tact from more expensive PDP headsets, not all do. If you are moving from the AG 9+ to the AG 6, you will lose that wireless component via the USB dongle. There for, you’ll always have to have the AG 6 plugged into your controller, which seems to be the norm for Xbox One headsets and shouldn’t be much of an issue for any gamer, unless they are moving over from the PS4.

Sound Quality

I’m not going to go all out and say that the AG 6 headset is pumping out some of the best sound on the market. The sound on these headsets is purely good. It’s not great, and it’s not bad. Frankly, I’d have to argue that this is probably what PDP expects people to say. For $50, you cannot expect the same audio experience as a 200-300 system, or for a 100 setup for that matter. Audio parts are expensive, and with headsets, they also need to be small, just adding to the overall cost. For the price, and compared to the competition, it’s equal too, if not above many other headsets in this price range.

The sounds are great, with the bass being the one area where I feel the AG 6 is above and beyond the competition, and even rivals that of $100+ headsets. The rest of the sounds – the mediums and lows – are average for the price. You likely won’t complain about the acoustics, but you aren’t about to go out and tell everyone to return their expensive headsets for this one either. And again, this is NOT a knock on PDP’s product. In general, the $50 you will spend on this PDP product is a much better use of your money than on $50 products from numerous of their competitors.

Conclusion

The AG 6 from PDP is an above average product at an exceptional price, and for the casual gamer who doesn’t need some of the features found in more expensive headsets, it’s an easy product to recommend. For those looking to game for hours on end, there are better headsets on the market for your money, including a number from PDP that I really enjoy, such as the AG 9+! That being said, the more features you hope to obtain, the more expensive the headset will be. For what’s included, the AG 6 delivers more than what should be expected for a 49.99 price point!