Hardware Review: RIG 900 MAX HS - Super Comfortable Headset Lacks Oomph

Over the last few weeks we’ve been testing out the RIG 900 MAX HS by Nacon, a pair of premium headphones made to easily connect to your PS5. But with a price tag of $250, what features does it come packed with to warrant the price?

What Is the RIG 900 MAX HS?

The RIG 900 MAX HS (which we'll call RIGs from here on out) is a dual wireless headset that features bluetooth connectivity for PC and mobile, and a USB-A adapter to connect to PS4, PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and Nintendo Switch. With this headset you can enjoy 2.4GHz low latency wireless, a flip to mute mic, an incredibly lightweight design, up to 60 hours of battery life via dongle connection, and a charging stand.

The RIGs retails for £213.75 here in the UK, and $249.99 in the US.

What's in the Box?

There isn't too much to the RIGs unboxing. You'll start off with the charging stand (which we'll get into later), before bringing out the headset itself, along with your usual paperwork, and USB-A to C charging cable. There's no draw bag or case for your headphones here.

Interestingly, there is no 3.5mm audio jack included with the RIGs, so you'll be connecting with this thing entirely via Bluetooth or the dongle.

Build Quality and Hardware Features

The first thing that'll strike you as you pick up the RIGs is its weight. While some higher-end headphones will go for the "heavy means quality" approach, that just isn't the case here.

The RIGs is deliberately a very lightweight product, with a metal headband, elastic support, breathable cushioning, and plastic ear cups. There's also no size adjustment rail built in, as you'll instead need to separate the ear cup and slot it into one of the three positions.

Right out of the box, the RIGs looks quite sleek and cool, especially with its mixture of black plastic and metal. However, every time we put it on the lack of weight felt cheap, as did the cushioning compared to something like the JBL Quantum 910P.

However, the benefits of this lightweight design really come to light with extended use. While it's common for some headphones to get a little uncomfortable along the top of the head, and have your ears feeling hot and sweaty during longer session, the RIGs feels comparatively breezy. We once wore the headset for up to eight hours with no issues at all. It's incredibly comfortable and breathable, and due to its lighter design it also stays on the head far better than some heavier headsets.

The hardware on the headset itself is simplistic. There are Bluetooth and call control buttons for those using on PC, but for console users it's just the power button, flip to mute mic, and a volume rocker. You'll need to adjust your party and game audio balance within the PS5.

However, let's get into the set-up and the battery, which are some of the best elements of the RIGs. For starters, out of the box, we had the RIGs up and running on our PS5 Pro within about a minute. You really just plug the dongle in and turn the headset on — it's as simple as that.

What's especially cool is the charging stand, which not only gives you a nice looking spot to place and charge your headset, but it also has a USB-A slot for the dongle. This means that you can charge and connect your headset while only using a single USB slot on your PS5. It's a well thought out feature that we're sure those with DualSense chargers or external hard drive users are going to appreciate.

The charging stand itself will steadily charge the headset, with a light indicating whether it is charging or charged. However, if you need a bit of battery in a pinch, the headset features fast charging via USB-C slot.

That being said, you'd have to really go out of your way to struggle for battery life on this thing. When we first booted our unit up, it claimed it had "medium battery", yet it took the best part of two weeks, with anywhere between two and eight hours of use most days, before it eventually ran out of charge. If you set up the charging stand too, we reckon you'll never even think about battery life with the RIGs.

The Audio Experience

The RIGs is a bit of an all-rounder device when it comes to audio quality. The higher-frequency sounds are great, and while it lacks a deep bass on its default settings, you can amplify its sound profile with the RIG 900 Max mobile app. The app is quite simplistic, so probably not what audiophiles are looking for, but like connecting the headset to the PS5, it's super easy to set up and you can actually create profiles which you can switch to on the fly.

Our biggest complaint, however, is that the RIGs just isn't very loud. With a lack of noise cancelling and the quieter 40mm drivers, it's easy to become distracted by outside noise. Even at its loudest, it just didn't feel like enough with most games, and we hated hearing our voices so clearly when playing online with friends.

We do appreciate that things like noise cancellation aren't for everyone. However, we love to immerse ourself in the soundscape of a game, so the RIGs never quite scratched that audio itch for us.

Should You Buy the RIG MAX 900 HS?

Despite our grievances with the RIG MAX 900 HS, it is a headset we'd ultimately recommend if you'd prefer comfortability and practicality over top tier audio. If you're looking for a headset that is super easy to set-up and customise, has a nice charging stand option, and has impressively long lasting battery, then this may be the one for you. It should also be noted that the RIGs has call control button for PC and mobile, so if this doubles as a headset for a job where you're on the phone a lot, all the better.

However, if you're primarily looking for an immersive audio experience, then we don't think the RIGs is going to cut it for most. It's a bit too quiet, lacks noise cancelling, and doesn't have the oomph of some headphones of a similar price range, like the Sony INZONE H9s.

What do you think of the RIG MAX 900 HS? Does its lightweight comfortability outweigh the need for better audio? Let us know in the comments.