I love gaming headsets, I’ve tried and tested loads over the past couple of years and I’ve had some of the best, and some of the not-so-best sets to review.
This time around, I’ve had the fortune to review the Surefire Harrier. A 360 surround sound gaming headset.
I’m not familiar with the Surefire brand, but truth be told, it’s not too important. How does the Harrier deliver? Does it deliver bang for your buck or does it fizzle before my expectations?
Let’s dive in and see what’s what.
Look
Not the most important thing, granted. But it’s nice when a headset looks nice, too, right?
I can’t lie, there are some better-looking, more premium headsets on the market. But the Surefire Harrier isn’t a slouch, either. With some built-in, soft colour RGB lighting on the external of the ear cups, the Harrier looks lovely when the evening draws in.
I’ll focus a little more on the build later, but this isn’t a bad looking headset, and at the price point (approx £50), you’re not going to be disappointed.
Audio
The most important aspect of the headset! The Surefire Harrier is a gem. Simple.
For a fifty quid headset, you’re getting plenty of audio goodness. I’ve played a few hours of battle royale titles (PUBG and Warzone) to really work out how well this advertised “360 sound” plays-out. I’ve run through strikes in Destiny, I’ve stood right next to grenades and blown myself up with rockets, all in the name of science.
After gaming tests, I always run through some of my old classic favourite songs, to pick out rim-shots on snares, bass lines, hi-hats, the works. If you know songs well enough, you know what you should be hearing and you can really hone-in on the sounds you’re looking for.
Here’s the deal. The Surefire Harrier delivers. You’re getting some lovely low-end bass, and treble in there. Explosions sound great, both close-by and far away. Gun fire was clear enough, but I’d suggest that those higher-end sounds get lost a little when there’s action taking place. Gun shots can be a touch harder to place audibly.
The fuzziest area is in that middle-ground. The SureFire Harrier is clearly working to deliver that bass, and you’re not going to struggle at the higher-end of that range. However, that “middle-of-the-mix” stuff really struggles to stand out.
This is arguably only really noticeable when listening to music, and situational audio in games isn’t going to suffer too much, but I think it’s worthwhile mentioning. It sometimes means that you’re not getting the full depth of some music, and things can feel a little “flat”.
All in all, the SureFire Harrier has a solid low-end and decent for your general gaming requirements. Particularly for the price point.
Build
This is the one area that the SureFire Harrier really does show it’s lower-end cost. Lots of cheaper plastics, the volume control unit which is an in-line control, is a bit nasty and limited in functionality.
A lot of headsets in the gaming space add volume control, muting etc to the ear cups for quick access. Also, with this being a USB connection, you’re not going to be taking this away from your PC to listen to music on your phone or anything.
It’s not a total bust, though. The detachable mic feels robust, and the braided cable is nice quality, and a good length.
I think the plastic elements could be better worked-on, especially for £50. But it isn’t a deal breaker. Especially when the headband is solid and doesn’t feel too weak or over-flexible. Oooh, also the stitching on the headband is a nice touch!
The weakest element of the SureFire Harrier, but honestly, it doesn’t stop it being functional. Nor does it detract from the audio quality.
Comfort
Tied-in with the build, comfort is victim to cheaper materials. However, over extended periods of play, I didn’t feel any real discomfort. Padding and soft leather-style material make the Harrier a nice set to wear.
Not too heavy, not worryingly light and void of internal hardware. You’re not going to suffer for wearing this headset.
Microphone
I think the most surprising outcome from this headset was the mic sensitivity and quality.
Literally the first thing that was said to me when I joined a voice channel the other days was “oh, have you fixed your mic issues?”. Evidently, I was coming in loud and clear! Even when speaking more quietly to cater for my infant son being asleep next door, the SureFire Harrier picked me up.
If it’s impressing my Destiny raid team straight out of the gates, that’s a great thing! being detachable and sturdy doesn’t harm it either. This is a great element of the headset!
Overall
The SureFire Harrier is a £50 headset, that largely delivers at the price point. Great audio, nice lights, comfortable fit and a really solid microphone.
It isn’t the highest quality build, and being USB, you would perhaps expect some software to manage RGB profiles, or perhaps some EQ settings. Instead, it just shows up as a non-descript USB device on your PC.
A touch more attention to detail, and some more considered delivery of the USB/PC setup would make this a truly great headset.
As it stands, you’re getting solid gaming audio, but this isn’t your headset to listen to your lossless MP3 files at the same time. Perhaps a touch expensive at £50 when you consider the build, but it’s not taking the mick.
You can find more information on the SureFire Harrier on the official site HERE. And more of our hardware reviews by clicking HERE.