JLab Nightfall review: Stellar audio with a questionable mic

Price When Reviewed

39.99

Best Prices Today: JLab Nightfall

The JLab Nightfall is the primary in a lineup of merchandise from JLab that look more likely to make waves within the funds gaming class, if its audio high quality, consolation, and styling is something to go by. When I say funds, the Nightfall is extraordinarily effectively priced — you’ll be able to anticipate to pay $39.99 for an inexpensive meal out lately, so it appears a small value to pay for a well-made pair of headphones with 50mm audio drivers.

Yet regardless of the whole lot this headset has going for it, an enormous query mark hangs over its mic efficiency, which included lots of static suggestions in my playtesting. Read on to seek out out extra.

JLab Nightfall design and construct

Lightweight plastic dominates the Nightfall’s construct, which is unsurprising contemplating the headset’s $39.99 price ticket. I’ve worn some mild gaming headsets in my time, however this has to take the cake for loftiness, weighing in at simply 8.8 ounces (250 grams) — that’s lighter than even my baseball cap. That being so, carrying it from daybreak to dusk (pardon the pun) was very comfy certainly.

As if I wanted any extra weight dissipation, the JLab Nightfall additionally has a strap headband that stored the burden of the band off the highest of my head. It’s conveniently adjustable and embellished in neon colours so that you get a pleasant pop of shade within the absence of any RGB lighting. It’s additionally reversable in case a largely black look is preferable.

The headset’s oval-shaped earcups are compact and trendy. There aren’t any sliders to regulate the peak, however they nonetheless match me snugly. I used to be stunned to see leatherette coverings on the outer rims — it being a fabric typically reserved for extra premium headsets. Regardless, I loved the sleek and opulent really feel, which was solely accentuated by the headset’s super-soft Cloud Foam ear cushions. The stress from the cushions and headband could be very mild but it surely makes an efficient seal for passive noise isolation.

JLab has actually executed its homework to match the headset’s feature-set to gamer expectations, even on a funds. That’s apparent within the swiveling and tilting motion you get within the cups, which allowed me loads of free motion. The shimmering JLab brand on the right-hand earcup additionally provides a contact of gamer-centric fashion that basically seems the half.

Is the Nightfall flimsy? No — for the supplies used I discovered it to be very effectively made — however it might be extra vulnerable to breakage due to the absence of any steel at weak junction factors. While I didn’t need to wreck a personally good headset to learn how robust it truly is, I stored mine tucked away in a case after utilizing it.

JLab Nightfall connectivity and controls

The JBL Nightfall has simply easy wired connectivity through a 3.5mm jack, so any gadget or gadget controller with a 3.5mm Aux-in is honest sport, together with an Xbox 360, Xbox X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, desktop PC, and a few Android and iOS cellphones.

Although I used to be tethered to my units, the headset’s shoelace-like twine is an honest 5 toes, 8 inches lengthy, so I had loads of room to maneuver my head round. It was versatile sufficient to drift across the high of my desk reasonably than catching on issues, so I by no means needed to fear about my neck being pulled by hook or by crook.

A quantity wheel is the headset’s sole on-ear management — this actually is a straightforward headset to make use of — you simply plug it in and let a finger scroll the wheel for amplitude.

JLab Nightfall gaming efficiency

Looking on the value, I wasn’t anticipating the Nightfall’s audio to be all that. Suffice to say, I used to be pleasantly stunned. Its sound is delivered by 50mm drivers, which produce a punchy and crisp audio picture. In video games like CounterStrike: Black Ops, for instance, footfalls sounded shut by, and bullets ricocheting, full of life and vibrant.

I by no means discovered ambient noise to be an issue regardless of there being no Active Noise Cancellation — and the headset was so mild, I may put on it longer than any headset I personal, which meant epic marathon gaming classes.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The Nightfall additionally has spatial audio assist, which for a sub-$100 pair of cans is one other nice bonus. Here, I didn’t get the form of pinpoint sound I’ve gotten from DTS encompass sound, or Dolby Atmos, but it surely does convey distance and directionality fairly effectively. There have been additionally no points with the headset’s stereo, or any distortion within the audio sign coming by way of the cans.

One worthwhile commentary is that bass frequencies appear to be extra dominant than highs or mid tones. If you’re listening to your sport’s theme music, for instance, heavy bass notes are the punchiest notes you’ll hear. Still, I discover correct bass is so typically missing in funds gaming headsets that it’s refreshing to seek out one that may actually drop a beat. Besides, you continue to get good impartial mids and highs which can be shiny sufficient to face out over these low tones — the lows simply sound a bit of stronger, is all.

JLab Nightfall microphone efficiency

The Nightfall’s near-field directional flip-to-mute microphone conveniently folds up into the headset in order that I may pack it away. Testing the mic was a bit of disappointing — it seems that it suffers from a suggestions downside which infused my audio stream with a continuing background static each time I attempted to make use of it for group chat. This was tolerable for a brief time period, however like a TV continually caught on a fuzzy sign, in the long run it spoiled a number of the enjoyable.

JLab reached out to let me know this downside is probably going attributable to me having a defective pre-production media pattern with {hardware} that’s barely totally different from the manufacturing items at present on sale.

A spokesperson says the issue has now been fastened, which I’m eager to listen to; we tech editors prefer to suppose the whole lot’s hunky dory early in a product’s lifecycle, however that’s not often the case. Unfortunately for a 3.5mm wired gadget, you’ll be able to’t merely repair an issue with a firmware replace such as you typically can with USB headsets. Considering the intel from JLab, although, I’ve requested a brand new unit and can log an replace on efficiency as soon as it arrives — so watch this area.

Should you purchase the JLab Nightfall?

Regrettably, primarily based on how the JLab’s microphone carried out for me this time round, I can’t at present suggest the headset for something aside from solo gaming. This situation just about dominated out any form of purposeful group chat on my half. If you’re unfortunate to get static like I did, it’s going to possible have your gaming buddies telling you to pipe down, or else the sport’s admin will in all probability simply mute you.

That mentioned and granted you do get a set with a working mic, the JLab Nightfall could be glorious worth. At $39.99 it’s quite a bit cheaper than headsets just like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 and Asus ROG Strix Go Core Moonlight White, has nice audio high quality, a snug match and sufficient fashion to be likable. Here’s hoping a post-production set arrives that may present up my pattern for what it most probably is — only a pre-production mannequin with a teething situation.