The JBL Quantum 360X is a solid wireless headset that may not be as top-of-the-range as sets from the likes of Turtle Beach and SteelSeries, but it still offers a great audio experience capable of immersing you into your favorite Xbox games. It may not fall among the best wireless gaming headsets, but it’s still a worthwhile contender if you don’t want to splash out big bucks.
Even though the JBL Quantum 360X doesn’t cost a fortune, it still offers robust features like strong audio quality, a detachable mic, and effective on-ear controls that ensure it has plenty to offer if you’re on the market for a new headset for Xbox or PC. It’s got a simple setup, and an easy-to-use set of controls, helping it offer a no-nonsense console audio solution for anyone wanting to delve further into your games.
With that said, if you do cherish high-quality audio and stronger build quality, then the JBL Quantum 360X might not meet your standards. Rather, it offers a reasonable quality in both aspects rather than anything groundbreaking, but that is reflected in its price tag.
Price and availability
The JBL Quantum 360X headset is available for purchase right now for $64.95/£63.99, which doesn’t break the bank, and fairly reflects the quality of the headset. For US shoppers, you can buy directly from JBL or go to retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target, whereas UK customers will be able to purchase from JBL, Argos, Amazon, or Currys.
However, just because it doesn’t cost as much as a similar wireless Xbox headset like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X ($159/£169) doesn’t mean it cuts corners on quality. Of course, it doesn’t perform to the standard of a premium Xbox headset, but it’s still an incredibly decent, well-developed product that offers value for money by the bucketload.
Design and features
In terms of overall aesthetics, the JBL Quantum 360X Wireless Headset is designed to mirror the Xbox black-and-green colorway. It’s simple, but the design makes it incredibly sleek.
The memory foam ear cups are comfortable even for multi-hour use, a factor enhanced by the headset’s general lightweight build and complementing headband. That said, my one gripe with the headset’s design would be the material used to cover the foam of the ear cups, which sometimes creates a little rustle noise against my glasses – but that might just be a ‘me problem’.
The button layout on the ear cups is another tick for the JBL Quantum 360X since things are nicely spaced out which minimizes the chances of accidentally pressing the wrong button, which is an issue I faced with the spacing on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P wireless headset.
In addition to this, the buttons themselves are straightforward to use, with a scroll wheel and mic mute button on the left cup and the power switch on the right. All buttons and wheels are of decent quality, but they don’t feel like something to write home about. Referencing the fact this is more of a budget-friendly headset, the plastic does feel a little cheap at times, especially in the way that the scroll wheel clicks when you adjust the volume.
The detachable boom mic is an ordinary but welcome feature – having the choice to attach it for multiplayer use, or remove it for single-player gaming is super. Plus it’s incredibly easy to attach and use. In addition to this, when the mic is in use there’s an incredibly convenient and easy-to-use mute button.
Performance
Generally, the sound quality is robust and enjoyable – but still has a few holes which cropped up in a few of the games I played. I used this headset while playing co-op games like Bread & Fred, Apex Legends, and Lethal Company on PC to test the microphone quality alongside the audio, but also wanted to see how it performed without the microphone attached through games like A Highland Song and Stardew Valley. It’s safe to say that the JBL Quantum 360X offers a varied sound profile, picking up on essential, quieter sounds like distant footsteps within first-person shooter (FPS) games, or background noises without cutting corners on bass-heavy sounds or audio.
With that said, sometimes the audio comes through slightly brash when there’s a sudden surge in volume. Loud, higher-pitched sounds become tinny, whereas loud mid-range sounds turn into something like a rattle within the earcups. If you play a lot of horror games such as Amnesia: The Bunker which have jarring, loud noises as part of the experience, this can interrupt the experience somewhat. I adjusted the volume to see if this helped dampen this issue, but even when the volume of the headset was low, this brash rattle would still occur. It’s not severe enough to strip you away from your game, but it’s noticeable the first few times it happens.
Elsewhere, the headset’s design and build do a fantastic job of keeping out any background noise due to the quality cushioning of the earcups. So if you’re gaming in a loud space, then this headset will help keep you engaged and immersed purely by default. Plus, you don’t have to whack the volume up on your game to experience this either.
Microphone audio is also clear, especially given the price point. The additional foam cover for the microphone also prevents a lot of plosives or sharp noises that cheaper mics pick up and send through.
JBL claims a 22-hour battery life and that the set takes only two hours to charge fully Having used the headset for a little over a month, and still being able to count on one hand how many times I’ve had to charge it to full, this claim is accurate. On top of that, just ten minutes of charge will give you an hour of wireless playtime which is a great feature to have if you’re in a pinch before jumping into a multiplayer Xbox Series X game.
Should I buy the JBL Quantum 360X wireless gaming headset?
Overall, the JBL Quantum 360X wireless headset is a decent pick for a mid-range wireless gaming headset for Xbox that concentrates on providing solid gaming audio without adding in too many flashy features. The detachable mic makes it easy to use for online play, and it’s a solid performer in both single-player and multiplayer games.
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
How we tested the JBL 360X wireless gaming headset
I used the JBL Quantum 360X Wireless Headset on both Xbox Series X and PC for more than a month. On Xbox, I played games like Party Animals and Street Fighter 6, whereas on PC I used the headset for games like Apex Legends, Baldur’s Gate 3, and The Outlast Trials. On both systems, I also tested the microphone of the headset by jumping in and out of multiplayer parties and work calls, and I always found it incredibly easy to set up and connect the headset to both devices.
If you’re in the market for a wired model, we’ve got a guide to the best wired gaming headsets. However, we’ve also got a guide to the best Xbox Series X and Series S accessories if you want to take your setup even further.
This post originally appeared on TechToday.