Review - Gioteck HC4 Amplified and Illuminated Wired Stereo Gaming Headset 
Compatible with: PS4, XB1 (with adapter), PC, 
Review by Jon Evans
The Gioteck HC4 headset is one of a series of headsets from Gioteck and offers an interesting gateway into the world of gaming audio. The HC range offer a variety of affordable solutions for gaming, whether you are looking for a more feature-filled Headset like the HC5 or budget minimalism in the HC1. The beauty is having the choice to buy the features that suit your particular gaming style

When it comes to choosing the right headphones for your console or PC, making the right decision can be quite bewildering. With a variety of different connections, features and quality of audio, finding the right headset for your own budget can be a challenge. The HC4 is a great solution for the gamer on a cheaper budget, who wants an easy to use headset with minimum cable fuss, but still have the ability to communicate with other players in online gaming. 

The headset looks great, with unusually shaped cups, which I was initially skeptical about, however they follow the shape of the ears very naturally and are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The band length of the headset can be extended in stages to fit different size heads and the rigidity of the band can also be adjusted for various different crown shapes. The cushions are softer than many other headsets, but still hold the weight of the cups off your ears comfortably. The cups also rotate about 200 degrees to fit to varied face shapes. The left cup of the headset is also illuminated in blue, Tron-style, when powered on and turns orange when charging. Personally I'm not too fussed about such fripperies, however, the illumination is a useful indicator to show that the power is on and reminded me to turn them off, when I had forgotten at the end of a gaming session. The audio mic rotates up and down in front of your face and is made of the familiar slightly bendy/ slightly rigid material, allowing you to place it to your on personal preference. The headset also comes with its own bundled micro-usb charger which is particularly convenient if you own a PS4 as it is exactly the same connection as the DS4 controllers. 
The headphones employ a standard 3.5mm headphone socket, which give it plenty of versatility when using it with various devices. With an Xbox One, you need the £20 headset adapter, which must be infuriating for not only headset manufacturers, but  Xbox one users too. Regardless, this  means I can use the Giotecks with my Vita, My PC, my smartphone and my PS4. With the PS4, you plug the headset into the DS4 controller, allowing you to have ‘wireless’ audio wherever you are in the room. The headphones are powered, amplifying the sound, but also actually improving audio quality too (not just making the sound louder). This is most evident when listening to music (in this case I listened to the Super Time Force OST) and you can clearly hear the improvement in separate layers of sound with the amplifier on. At high volumes audio leak is  quite evident but, unless you intend to game on the tube or bus, this isn’t a major concern. The buttons on the left ear cup control your power, volume and mute buttons. The buttons are a good size and easy to locate when gaming, however they lack any audible indicator when pressing them, which only became a problem with the mute button, not knowing whether it was on or off. 

I tested the headphones in various conditions specific to how a gamer might use them to give a good representative feel for their uses. The first acid test is quality of audio when playing a single player game. The sound is quite rich and expansive although loses some clarity at the deeper end of the bass. Nevertheless, playing various different games with a variety of sounds the headphones did a very good job of immersing you into the game world. Quieter environmental sounds were clear and easy to pick out, and the virtual ‘depth’ to the sound was enjoyable.
When used during multiplayer games, the headphones employ a standard stereo sound experience, so in terms of placing sounds in your environment, it’s very much a ‘left-or-right’ situation, however with most games this is useful enough to give you an advantage over players using television speakers. In games such as Destiny, Call of Duty Advanced Warfare or Titanfall, which involve gameplay over different heights as well as distances, it may be more of a challenge to place your enemies, however this will only be really available with more expensive Headsets with 7.1 speakers. The voice chat was clear and distinct, with fellow gamers telling me my voice was very clear and easy to hear, again a real step up from the terrible audio of the bundled headsets. The HC4 headset does not have separate channels or voice and audio and so does not allow you to adjust the game audio to give voice priority. Again, this is not to be expected in an entry level headset, so you need to bear this in mind depending on how you intend to play your games. Predominantly online multiplayer gamers may decide this is a feature they must have, but If you are less bothered about this, it is not a major issue, especially as the headset does a great job of making both aspects of the audio quite clear.

I also tested them when streaming gameplay. As you can see in the video below, there are so many factors which affect quality of audio, the speed of your internet connection, the device you are streaming on and the service that provides the streaming platform. Here I have 10 Meg upload on a PS4 using Twitch. The headphones hold up pretty well and audio clarity is still good even over the sound of noisy gameplay. 

Battery life was exceptionally good, better than most headsets I’ve tested. Gioteck claim 8 hours use, and I managed to use them for this time and go beyond by at least another half hour. 
The Gioteck HC4 is a great gaming headset for a first time gamer on a modest budget with a well-rounded experience, minimal set up, in terms of connections and good quality audio and comfort. They are also one of the lightest headsets I’ve tested, so are recommended for longer gaming stints, with very little earache from constant use. Pro-Gamers may find the HC4 lacking in certain areas, but for mainstream gamers, these are excellent value for money. 
Headset provided by Gioteck
Images reproduced by permission of Gioteck.