Introduction and First Impressions
Do these feather-light gaming headphones provide powerful sound?
The Fatal1ty by Monster FXM100 gaming headset is designed to be very lightweight for a comfortable fit, while delivering powerful sound. It uses what the company calls “fHex720 Sound Chamber Technology”, which is said to provide clear, natural sound without distortion. In this review we’ll take a look at the design, and then explore fit, comfort, and (most of all) audio performance.
We received the version of the headset currently being sold at retail, and while it's marketed for console gaming and mobile use (with a single 3.5 mm connector), an adapter for PC use is available. To evaluate PC sound I simply plugged the headset into my computer’s headphone jack, but if you need to split the headphone and microphone output (the headset’s 3.5 mm connector is a 3-conductor plug that handles both) you’ll need an adapter. We were told that the version of the headset that will be available for purchase online will include this adapter.
Monster lists these features for the FXM 100 headset:
- Designed for Long Wear and Comfortable Fit
- Built Strong and Durable to Take Anywhere
- Exclusive fHex720 Sound Chamber Technology
- Game-tuned Pure Monster Sound
- Detachable Noise Cancelling Microphone
- Exclusive Sound Chamber Technology
- Game-tuned Pure Monster Sound
- Custom Built Drivers for Maximum Detail
- Detachable Noise Canceling Microphone
- In-line Audio Controls
- Tangle-free Cable
- Comfortable Over-Ear design
(Curiously, there are no specifics – driver size, sensitivity, frequency response, etc. – listed for these.)
One of the biggest features of this headset is its weight, and at just 6 oz it's a very light pair of gaming headphones. Just how powerful can the sound be when the total weight is so low? Let's find out!
Thanks to Fatal1ty and Monster for providing the FXM 100 headset for our review.
- Fatal1ty by Monster FXM100 Gaming Headphones – $69.95, Monster.com
First Impressions
Inside the spiffy packaging we have a protective plastic shell holding the headphones safely in place.
The (very short) cord includes an inline control for volume and a mute switch for the mic.
How short is the cord? I measured it at 45 inches (3 ft, 9 inches), which is fine if you're connecting it to a console controller's 3.5 mm jack, but not adequate for a PC headset. It does work just fine for a phone, as well. I can't fault them too much considering this isn't specifically geared toward PC use, but it does have that capability and the cord is just too short unless your tower is really close to your chair.
Next we'll cover the fit and comfort of the FXM 100, and of course talk about sound quality.
Spiffy and Squishy: I
Spiffy and Squishy: I approve. 3ft cord is long enough for laptop gaming , but I may get the Logictech based on your recommendation.
Oh Fatal1ty merch… you
Oh Fatal1ty merch… you could cure herpes and I’d still not use you.
Regardless of my tastes for the brand, nice review Sebastian, you seem to know your audio gear.
Building on that, I’d be interested in seeing a leaderboard-esque list of cans and amps for PC on the site.
Sponsored article sucks as
Sponsored article sucks as usual…
People here talk about “quality” but without lab and measurements I call it “crap”.
I can assure that this
I can assure that this article is not sponsored and we haven't worked with or on Fatal1ty branded products in a LONG time. You are welcome to your opinion on what is "quality" or "crap" but I'm nearly 100% certain Sebastian's input on audio gear is more valuable than yours.
Then how do you explain the
Then how do you explain the solid gold toilet?!?!
You are right to keep a
You are right to keep a ridiculous margin in case I could be a musician aware of physics laws including psychoacoustics… well tried! 😉
Could you please try that
Could you please try that sentence again?
Don’t be stupid and plug your
Don’t be stupid and plug your brain…
Thank you for living up to my
Thank you for living up to my expectations.
What did you expect with
What did you expect with disguised insults? I don’t think I should be ashamed of my english being a non native english speaker but I think you already knew that. Your stupid question only show that you’re a low person… I hope for Canada that not all canadians are like you and don’t be afraid, I won’t emigrate to Canada because every nation has their problems specially between their own people like english and french speaker in Canada. 😉
Wow what a bitter boy. Did
Wow what a bitter boy. Did you receive the cattle prod treatment as a child?
No one asked for your life
No one asked for your life story, dude.
No one asked you to smell my
No one asked you to smell my ass, fag.
That doesn’t even make sense,
That doesn't even make sense, start being funnier or I'm breaking out the delete button.
What is needed are gaming
What is needed are gaming headsets made by good quality headphone manufacturers like Beyerdynamic, Audio-Technica, AKG etc. Most gaming headsets I’ve tried over the years are just so bad compared to a proper quality set of headphones, so gaming peripheral companies, stop making crap and talk to manufacturers who know what they are actually doing to produce good quality sound.
In order to sell expensive
In order to sell expensive craps they should try to put metal parts in the headband like Beats…
They do
Beyerdynamic mmx 300
They do
Beyerdynamic mmx 300 save money and just buy the dt770 and a modmic
Audio-Technica ATH-AG1x and 3 more
Sennheiser been making them for years
v-moda has a pair
Really happy to see more
Really happy to see more objective, descriptive, and thoroughly explained analysis of the sound, instead of just audiophile buzzwords like your older reviews tended towards. Keep it up!
Game-tuned Pure Monster
Game-tuned Pure Monster Sound?
Exclusive Sound Chamber Technology?
Wow! Hahaha oh Monster you guys always make me laugh
Are they oxygen enriched and nitrogen injected like some of their old cables? lol