JBL Quantum 600 Gaming Headset Review - More than a gaming headset

In gaming, audio is essential for immersion as well as having a competitive edge especially in multiplayer.

JBL Quantum 600 Gaming Headset review - More than a gaming headset

The JBL Quantum 600 is a gaming headset that aims to elevate your gaming experience. Let's see how it fairs.

JBL is a company known for its speakers as well as headphones. The JBL Quantum 600 is a part of a series of 7 gaming headsets. It promises to provide a more immersive audio experience in-game as well as clear voice communications with your teammates.

Unboxing and Accessories

JBL Quantum 600 unboxed

The unboxing experience is straightforward. But, I gotta say the box really feels premium and it looks cool with bright colors. As you open the outer sleeve, you are greeted with the headset enclosed under clear plastic.

USB-C cord, 3.5mm jack, and 2.4GHz wireless dongle

In the box, you get some paper works, start-up guide, USB-C charging cable, 3.5mm audio cord, and the 2.4GHz wireless dongle. No wall adapter but it can easily be charged via your PC though.

Build Quality/Design

It has a sleek yet cool design

For the build, the JBL Quantum 600 is built with a tough plastic material all-around from the ear cups, adjustable arm brackets, and headband. The ear cushion is made out of premium leather as well as the headband cushion. It is very flexible and durable which is very good for a sub-PHP 9K headset.

It has RGB logos on each earcup

For the design, I love the glossy and matte finish combination in different parts of the headset. It has two RGB JBL logos, one for each cup, that are customizable through the JBL QuantumENGINE PC app. There are also some braided wires with a black and orange color combination.

Dials and buttons for controls

On the left earpiece, you get two control wheels. One is for the volume control while the other controls the balance between game audio and voice chat. The latter is useful if you need to adjust volumes when the game overpowers your Discord voice chat.

You also get a dedicated mute mic button, 3.5mm port, and USB-C port for charging and firmware updates. The boom mic is also attached to the left earpiece.

The power/sync toggle

The right earpiece houses the power/sync switch.

Left and Right indicators for each earcup

Overall, the design feels premium. It also did not go overboard with the RGB lighting that allows it to maintain a sleek, minimal look.

Comfort/Isolation

It covers your ears snugly without hurting over time

Putting it on, the JBL Quantum 600 fit comfortably on my head. I have a big head which is a problem for me when looking for headsets but Quantum 600 has ample adjustment levels that catered to my noggin.

The ear cushions fit snugly over my ears too without it hurting even after extended usage due to it being soft. However, it can still become a sweat-fest after a few hours so I make sure to wipe some sweat during breaks. It is a bit heavy as well at 346 g.

It has great isolation for immersive and uninterrupted gaming

In terms of isolation, it is fairly good. With audio, its isolation allows me to focus on what I am playing, watching, or listening to. Even at just 60 percent volume, it completely eliminates outside noise. I couldn't even hear my sister calling me for dinner and my sister is very loud. Without audio, it still lessens outside noise significantly due to the snug fit of the ear cushions.

Battery

The JBL Quantum 600 gaming headset promised 14 hours of battery life with RGB off. For me, I got around 12 hours of usage with RGB always on. It charges via USB-C from 0 to 100 percent in 2 hours. I don't find myself running out of juice during my session since I always plug it in if I don't use it.

Features

QuantumEngine PC app

The JBL Quantum 600 gaming headset is compatible with all gaming platforms like PC, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, smartphones, and even VR. It connects via 2.4GHz wireless connection which maintains a strong connection even if I go beyond 10 feet. It also has an option for a 3.5mm audio connection however RGB lighting does not work.

It has a game-audio chat dial that is certified to work on Discord, Skype, and TeamSpeak. The QuantumEngine app serves as a hub for different settings such as equalizers, spatial sound settings, microphone settings, RGB lighting, as well as OTA updates for the headset.

Audio

Using the JBL Quantum 600 while playing NBA 2K20

I used the JBL Quantum 600 for four main activities, gaming, listening to music, video streaming, and video/voice chats. In this review, I will describe my experience for each activity separately. For starters, it has 50mm dynamic drivers.

For gaming, I played both single-player and multiplayer games. I played the Witcher III: Wild Hunt first. With DTS X and QuantumSURROUND on, the spatial sound works. The emulated 7.1 surround sound experience did improve the immersion as I was able to pinpoint where sounds are coming from. I got to admit though, both options sound artificial.

Ideal for music, video streaming, and video calls as well

For League of Legends, I found that neither of the spatial sound options worked properly. In stereo mode, I can distinguish when a champion activated a spell from different directions near me. However, in both DTS X and QuantumSURROUND, the audio is simply missing. The voice chat experience is great as my teammates noticed the difference between my old mic and the JBL's boom mic. They said it sound clearer and there is less background noise.

Valorant is the last game I tried. DTS X and QuantumSURROUND worked properly here allowing me to distinguish which direction footsteps are coming from. However, the volume is on the softer side. But I think it is more of Valorant's issue than the gaming headset itself.

It is worth noting that aside from the dedicated mute mic button, you can simply flip-up the boom mic and it will automatically get muted. Also, sometimes, the game-audio chat balance feature bugs out wherein the values are flipped. The game volume becomes the chat volume and vice versa.

It has ample bass which is ideal for my music taste

For music, I noticed that the JBL Quantum 600 is bass-heavy. For me, it is not a big issue since I love me some hip-hop and RNB. But, I can still enjoy the vocals with clarity as well as the highs. Overall, the bass is enhanced just enough to give it more kick without drowning out the highs and mids. If you need to adjust the sound, you can do it via the QuantumENGINE app's EQ that has a lot of preset for you to try as well.

For video streaming, it is an enjoyable experience. However, DTS X does not work on Netflix, so I am stuck with stereo mode. Nonetheless, the experience is very good with clear dialogues, booming explosions, and immersive ambient noise.

Lastly, with the "new normal" forcing us to work from home, meetings, and video conferences are becoming part of daily routines. I can confidently say that the JBL Quantum 600 is capable of providing above satisfactory performances on calls. Audio comes out clear both incoming and outgoing.

Pros - Premium build with leather ear cushions, decent sound quality, great mic quality, strong wireless connectivity, customizable RGB lighting, long battery life

Cons - QuantumENGINE bugs, the inconsistent spatial sound feature, slightly heavy

JBL Quantum 600 Specs

Driver: 50mm dynamic drivers

Frequency response: 20Hz - 20KHz

Sensitivity: 100dB @ 1kHz @ 1mW

Microphone: Flip-up boom microphone

Battery: 1,300mAh

Connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless connection, 3.5mm audio jack

Others: Game-chat audio balance dial, volume dial, flip-up mic mute, QuantumSURROUND, DTS-X v.2.0, USB-C, RGB lighting Colors: black

Weight: 346 g

Price: PHP 8,999

Verdict

JBL Quantum 600 is priced at PHP 8,999

For PHP 8,999, the JBL Quantum 600 is definitely more than a gaming headset. It holds its own for music, video streaming, as well as video conferences and calls. It has a great design that mixes sleek and minimal with some RGB flair. It also has a great choice for materials in premium plastic and leather.

Better implementation of the QuantumSURROUND is what I can suggest improving upon. It works beautifully for one game then bugs out on another. I end up using DTS-X or stereo mode more often due to these issues.

Overall, if you have the budget and is looking for a gaming headset then I can definitely recommend checking out the JBL Quantum 600.

Build/Design - 4.5

Comfort/Isolation - 4.25

Battery Life - 4.25

Features - 4

Sound - 4

Average - 4.2/5