Following the wired MMX 100 and 150 gaming headsets we reviewed last year, Beyerdynamic is now out with its first wireless gaming offering – the MMX 200. Packing many of the features of the USB MMX 150, the 200 adds Bluetooth and cuts the cord for a more convenient gaming experience. At $250, though, it’s up against some stiff competition. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details.
Design
Overall the MMX 200 shares a lot of the design language of the MMX 100 and 150. Round earcups have metal yokes connecting to the headband. There is a detachable microphone, and the textured matte-black coating seems to hide fingerprints very well.
MMX 200: Controls
On the left earcup is a volume wheel that can also be pressed in. This wheel will glow different colors for different status modes of the headset. Moving further down the left earcup, there is also a BlueTooth button and a USB-C port. Over on the right earcup is the power button.
That USB-C port on the left earcup handles charging with the included USB-C to USB-A cable. The benefit here is that it can be used with the wireless dongle and charged at the same time without any issues.
Bluetooth and wired
One feature that is called out in the manual is a “Hybrid mode” that gives the ability to use the MMX 200 wired with a USB-C to 4-pin 3.5mm at the same time as the Bluetooth connection. With this, you could use the headset wired into a console controller and still have Bluetooth to chat with someone on your mobile device.
Sadly, I wasn’t able to test this as the MMX 200 does not come with this cable in the box. For the $250 price tag, I would have loved to have seen this cable included with the headset.
Beyerdynamic MMX 200: Video
Augmented mode
Just like the MMX 150, the MMX 200 has the same augmented mode that pipes outside noise into the earcups. Like a transparency or ambient mode from ANC headphones, this makes it easier to hear what is going on around you.
While this won’t be necessary for everyone, for those who need to be aware of their surroundings, this could be an enticing feature. Just yesterday someone in our livestream mentioned they need open-back headphones to hear family members around them. This could be a solution that allows for both open-back and closed-back advantages at the push of a button.
MMX 200: Comfort
My biggest complaint with the MMX 100 and 150 was the comfort. The earcups are shallow and my ears are pressed against the driver covers. By extension, that made the headset fatiguing for me.
There are some similarities with the MMX 200, the earcups are still shallow, but I don’t find it nearly as fatiguing as the wired versions. I still find plenty of other headsets at this price point more comfortable, like the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed, but the MMX 200 isn’t as uncomfortable as Beyerdynamic’s earlier wired offerings.
The headset does have significant clamping force but it’s not as clampy as the Stealth Pro from Turtle Beach.
That clamping force helps give it some impressive passive noise isolation. Compared to the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed, the MMX 200 blocks out a lot more background noise, which can be ideal in noisy gaming environments.
Up top, the headband is wrapped in the same faux leather material as the earcups and has plenty of padding. I have no complaints about the top-of-the-head comfort.
How does it sound?
On the spec sheet, the MMX 200 uses 40mm drivers with a frequency response of 20-20,000 Hz.
Throughout that standard frequency response, the MMX 200 delivers clear and punchy audio.
While the low end isn’t overwhelming, there is plenty there to provide a full sound when it comes to impacts in games. Likewise, with music, I found the slightly enhanced low-end a lot of fun to listen to. While it may not be the best suited for highly competitive players who want to cut low-end for better clarity at the expense of natural sound, it was a lot of fun when playing Starfield.
The mids also perform great with plenty of presence. When listening to “Mist” by Protest the Hero, one of my favorite tracks for testing headsets, the guitars were easy to distinguish in the cluttered metal track.
On the high end, there is a bit of extra dazzle that makes cymbals sound slightly unnatural but translates well to clear audio when playing FPS games like Battlefield 2042.
While imaging and positioning are impressive on the MMX 200, the soundstage falls short when compared to other gaming headsets in this price bracket. The Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed gives a more expansive soundstage.
Overall the MMX 200 sounds good with some fun qualities for gaming, but I find myself wishing there were some native EQ controls. If I were to give it a tweak, I would drop the low end by a few decibels and also dip the upper highs.
Mic test
One of the stand-out features of the MMX 200 is the microphone. With wireless gaming headsets, more often than not, the microphone really falls short. Only recently in products like the HS80 from Corsair are we given a natural-sounding voice from a wireless gaming headset.
But just like the wired MMX 100 and 150, the wireless MMX 200 actually has a natural-sounding microphone. There is plenty of body in there. It’s still not on par with a dedicated large-capsule condenser or dynamic streaming microphone, but for a wireless gaming headset, I am impressed.
Vs. the competition
So while there are some good qualities to the MMX 200, the $250 price point puts it in a tough spot with competition like the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed, which is a solid headset with rigid graphene drivers and deep audio customization via the G Hub app.
Between the two, I found myself leaning toward the Logitech over the MMX 200. I found it more comfortable and had a wider soundstage. I also enjoy the ability to tweak an EQ natively with an app.
gadgetnewsonline’ Take
My fear is that while it’s a solid headset overall, nothing stands out as a clear advantage over some of the competition at the same price point.
The MMX 200 sounds good but a $250 wireless headset without app controls for EQ is a stretch for me. Sure, there are third-party EQ options out there, like Steel Series Sonar, and maybe that’s better than Beyerdynamic developing its own app, but for a $250 wireless gaming headset I kind of come to expect that as a feature.
Overall, I think the Beyerdynamic MMX 200 is a stretch for the $250 price tag. Hopefully, we’ll see the price drop this holiday season. Be sure to stay locked to gadgetnewsonline to catch the best deals.
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