FIFINE Microphone, established back in 2009, provided MKAU with their brand new budget headset, the FIFINE Ampligame H9 Headset, and I put the headset through its paces on the PC, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch, but being a budget headset, how did it fair?

The first thing I noticed is how simplistic the packaging is, and as someone who loves simplicity, it ticked the boxes. Opening the box, the simple and lightweight headset weighs a mere 260g, featuring a matte black finish and what looks like a smiley face on each side, but unfortunately, the little face didn’t light up, and as someone who loved RGB, this was a little upsetting. The light weight made it feel like you weren’t even wearing a headset, apart from the ear cushions.

They could have been a tiny bit bigger not to hug my ears like they were, but overall, they were comfy, even with the synthetic material that most cheaper products use. The cushioning on the headband meant that it sat nicely on my head, and this was also quite flexible if needed.

It comes with a USB dongle and an AUX cable, which was convenient for something like the Xbox, where I could plug straight into the controller, and I could also use this for the Nintendo Switch.

When playing on a PC, you have the option of plugging it directly into the headphone port, or you can use the USB dongle, which has a couple of different functions. One of these is a button to activate 7.1 Surround Sound, and this is supposed to add an extra level of immersive sound, but I preferred playing without this. The others are used to turn the microphone up or down and adjust the headset volume.

Being a budget headset, the range of sound was a little on the lower side of things, sounding very flat with minimal bass, similar to how things sound with an equaliser set to neutral. I also found that when using the 7.1 Surround Sound feature, I would get the occasional static crackle, and this was very off-putting when playing games.

I was a little surprised with the sound quality as it boasts a 50mm dynamic driver, but on the other hand, people were saying that the microphone was comparable to the likes of my HyperX Quadcast, and given FIFINE started as a company that focused on building high-quality microphones, I suppose it makes sense.

It’s an Omni-directional condenser-type setup with -42/3db sensitivity, and as far as headset microphones go, I was impressed. The boom arm was just the right size, not feeling like it was in your face when pulled around to speak into it.

Installation of the headset was as simple as plugging it into the USB port and letting it install some basic drivers. Unlike some of the more known brands, there isn’t any proprietary software you’ll need to get the most out of the unit, but you will need to keep in mind that it isn’t wireless.

While you don’t need to worry about keeping the headset charged, the one downside is that you always have cords hanging from your headset. I forgot about this more than once, and I tend to get up and walk away from the PC.

The FIFINE Ampligame H9 Headset is great for someone chasing a lightweight and inexpensive headset, be it for gaming or work needs. While the microphone seems to be of great quality, it is a little let down by the speakers, and being able to switch from a USB dongle to an AUX cable is convenient for someone who switches between devices.

Written by: Hayden Nelson