Great Sound, Rich Features

JBL Quantum One

- Hoots the Owl

AT A GLANCE

DRIVERS 50mm dynamic

FREQUENCY RESPONSE 20Hz – 40kHz

CONNECTIVITY USB, 3.5mm

FEATURES Hi-Res Audio, ANC, QuantumSPHERE 360

WEIGHT 369g

PRICE $369

JBL is no stranger to the world of high-end audio, but it’s a relative newcomer to the gaming headset space. With the Quantum One, it attempts to bring together JBL’s audio pedigree with the things gamer’s prize, such as Hi-Res audio certification and better positional audio in-game.

The Quantum One has something JBL refers to as QuantumSPHERE 360; integrated head tracking that creates an independent virtual soundscape that sounds different according to how you position your head. At 369g, this isn’t the lightest headset around, but its plush, memory foam earcups and padded headband help with comfort over long hours. The Quantum One proved to be fairly comfortable, even with glasses on, but the headband doesn’t feel as good as the cushier memory foam headband on the Razer Blackshark V2. The large leatherette earcups cup your ears, instead of sitting on them, although a fabric material would have been more breathable. It’d have been nice if JBL had included swappable fabric ear cups as Logitech did on the G Pro X Wireless.

This isn’t a headset for someone who wants a more minimalist look, and the Quantum One sports a rather elaborate design, from the winding circuit-style path the LED lights trace around the ear cups to the orange-and-black cable.