It comes and goes, and with a good surround mix the G533 still sounds fine-in Battlefield 1 for instance. The G533 struggles a bit with stereo sound, but its virtual 7.1 mode sounds positively hollow at times, falling in and out of that awkward echo-chamber effect I associate with bad headset surround. Surround-sound performance is even more hit-or-miss. Particularly at lower volumes I’ve found the G533 lacks the oomph of the G933, struggling a bit to provide the same wide sound stage as the G933. There’s an immediacy to the G933, a fullness or richness of sound that the G533 doesn’t share. That’ll get you closest to settings most people would want for gaming, adding a bit more punch to the mix.īut despite the similarities, I maintain that the G933 has the advantage. Most people will want to boost the bass presence though, and as with the G933, I recommend utilizing the still-stupidly-named Drop the Bass EQ setting in Logitech’s software, then doing some minimal tweaking to taste. It’s a good move by Logitech, letting the user EQ to taste instead of nailing a single sound profile to the detriment of all others. The pair share Logitech’s passion for flat, studio-esque sound, with the G533 sounding a bit brighter than most competitors right out of the box-mainly because it doesn’t pack the overwhelming bass shoved into most gaming headsets. The plastic seems higher-quality too, with less of that “creaky joints” noise the G633/933 had when flexed. It’s larger but also lighter, and less vice-grip tight than the G633/933. The G533 also seems better built than the 633/933. But for Logitech, the G533 is another huge step forward aesthetically. Razer, maybe, or a more mainstream audio company like Audio-Technica or Sennheiser. The G533’s microphone is discreet for a gaming headset but not fully ensconced like the G633.īut the smooth curves of the G533, the way the matte and piano blacks complement each other, the circular ears-this doesn’t look like the Logitech I’m used to. Not that I minded the G633/933 pair-they had a certain space-y appeal, and I loved the hidden microphone.
This is the best a Logitech headset has ever looked, I think. The G533 grows on me a bit more each day, with new subtleties revealed even after weeks of use. I’m not sure pictures do the G533 justice, because so much of its appeal lies in the details-the way the headband curves around the earcups, or the small groove the microphone tucks back into.