With more and more people getting into the gaming scene, it’s all the more likely that they will inevitably choose to buy a gaming headset to pair with their gaming gear. While many may immediately think Turtle Beach, HyperX, Razer and other larger name brands, Mackie has come out with a Bluetooth headset aimed at gamers. Priced at 106.00 USD, the Mackie MC-40BT headphones are priced competitively among its competitors.
Straight out of their box, the Mackie MC-40BT’s are enclosed in a hard-shell zip-up carrying case. Inside the case, you find not only the MC-40BT’s folded up, but their USB-C charging cable and an AUX cord to turn the headphones into a wired headset as well. Nothing out of the ordinary but the hard carrying case is a welcome addition as many competitors either do not include a case, or they include a cheaper drawstring bag to store their headphones in.
The Mackie MC-40BT’s are made of sturdy plastic with fairly comfortable cushioning for around your ears and on top of your head. On the right-side earpiece, you find the ports and buttons for controlling your media. The button presses, while clicky, feel a little on the stiffer side and the buttons themselves feel a little cheap.
In my time of using the MC40-BT’s, I found pairing to be as simple as turning the headset on and searching for them on whichever device you are using. All devices I tested them on, whether it be iOS, Android, PC, Mac etc., all paired quickly and seamlessly. I was able to get countless hours out of a single charge and some days it felt as though the battery was endless. However, in longer listening sessions, I found the Mackie MC-40BT’s would start to get a bit heavy to wear after a few hours.
“The 3D stereo quality of the MC-40BT’s delivered an impressive result, allowing me to hear approaching enemies better than speakers on my TV or even when pairing them with my phone or handheld system.”
While listening to music, most audio generally sounded clear and crisp with an adequate amount of bass, although I would’ve liked more bass in some cases. Movies were not quite as immersive as other headsets I have tried, although they still produced reasonable quality sound. While in both cases, there was a decent degree of depth to all audio, I feel it was not quite as deep and rich as other headsets I have tested in the past.
Of course, the main reason anyone buys a gaming headset is for gaming. In my testing, I found the Mackie MC-40BT’s delivered a pleasing gaming experience. The 3D stereo quality of the MC-40BT’s delivered an impressive result, allowing me to hear approaching enemies better than speakers on my TV or even when pairing them with my phone or handheld system. While voice chatting with other players, I rarely had any issues with the built-in microphone. On occasion, some players would occasionally claim they could hear the fan or AC blowing in my room, though they still would say they could hear me clearly.
Overall, I would have to say that Mackie has delivered a decent headset for gaming with the MC-40BT’s. While they are not necessarily the cheapest headset money can buy, they deliver reasonable audio quality in gaming and for the occasional movie or music session with the added functionality of having built-in volume buttons. The battery often seems to go on for days, which is a great feature for those players who do not want wires interfering with their gameplay.
