ROCCAT Syn Air Max Wireless Headset Review – Luxury Sound Costs

ROCCAT Syn Air Max Wireless Headset Review

Last year I delved deep into some amazing ROCCAT accessories. One of my favorites of the bunch was the Syn Pro Air headset. It offered up amazing sound that I had yet to truly experience. Now, a year later I’ve gotten my hands on the Syn Max Air headset and let me tell you, it’s going to take you to the big leagues. It’s basically the Syn Pro Air 2.0. It’s an obvious upgrade, but it does come at a cost. Is it worth the increase in price? Let’s find out.

As soon as you open the box you know that the Syn Max Air is pure quality. The headset comes complete with a removable microphone, a USB-A charging cable, a USB-C charging cable, a USB-A to USB-C adapter, a quick start guide (AKA instruction manual) and a charging dock. It sounds complicated with everything that comes in the box but it’s essentially the charging dock, headset and the cables required to plug everything in to charge.

After it’s all set up, placing the Syn Mar Air headset on the rapid charging dock looks clean and minimalist. It doesn’t take much space on your desk at all. The charging dock is black with a semi-translucent strip towards the bottom that lights up when plugged in. The Syn Max Air is solid black in color, with the crisp white ROCCAT logo being the single standout on each earcup and the detachable microphone. The slick honeycomb design can be seen on the outer earcups as well.

Style Meets Quality

The entire headset is lightweight, and solid yet flexible. It oozes luxury. It’s made from aluminum and thick plastic. The bionic shell is back again and unfortunately is just as susceptible to fingerprints as the Syn Pro Air was. This just means that your new headset will need a quick wipe after each play session.

The frame is adjustable with vertical sliders to fit all head shapes and sizes and the earcups swivel to rest easily on your shoulders if your head needs a break during a long gaming session too. Not that you’ll ever really need to take the Syn Max Air off your head! It’s incredibly comfortable. Gone is the rough, athletic material the Syn Pro Air sported on the spacious earpads. In its place are plush memory foam earpads that feel like you’re wearing pillows. It’s truly a gamer’s dream. Especially since they are designed for cooling so your ears don’t get all sweaty.

And if you wear glasses, the ProSpecs Glasses Friendly design is alive and well here. There’s a volume dial and a button on each earcup and that’s it. The left side has the power button and the right has the Bluetooth pairing button. Super basic yet super efficient. The build quality of the Syn Max Air is high, as is the level of comfort.

Once you plug the Syn Max Air in and set up the rapid charging dock your room essentially becomes a rave. Both the headset and the charging dock are bright, bold, and colorful. It’s a beautiful and customizable lightshow thanks to the AIMO intelligent lighting and the ROCCAT Swarm software. If you have other ROCCAT accessories for your PC you can sync everything up together for a true symphony of lights.

Insane Lightshow

How customizable is the Syn Max Air headset exactly? Well, using the Swarm software you can adjust a slew of settings. You can update RGB illumination and color options, change mic noise and volume or game audio output. There’s additional options for chat boost so you can hear your friends even better and 3D immersive audio. And naturally there are plenty of EQ adjustments to make for each and every adventure you’re about to embark on that much better! Of course the superhuman hearing technology is ever-present with the Syn Max Air headset as well. This boosts smaller noises, like footsteps of an enemy trying to get the jump on you, and helps keep the advantage in any gunfight! Unfortunately all of these customizations don’t transfer to other compatible platforms (PS5, PS4, Switch and Mobile). Thankfully even without the customizations the input from every game is all-encompassing.

The sound profile and performance is markedly improved from the Syn Pro Air and I didn’t think that would be possible. The 50mm Nanoclear audio drivers, and TruSpeak mic allow for crystal clear sound every single time. This can be said for both the game and chat audio. The Syn Max Air truly illustrates the importance sound plays in the overall gaming experience. The 3D audio, Superhuman hearing technology, EQ preset and surround sound all pack a powerful punch. If you ever wanted to know what it sounds like to sit in the middle of the jungle, the rustling of leaves, the songs of birds, the slithering of snakes and the bustling of wildlife all around, jump into Red Dead Redemption 2 or Green Hell with the Syn Max Air on your ears. It’ll feel like you’re actually right there.

The Full Package

The battery life on the Syn Max Air is long and you’ll never have to worry about it running out during a game session, especially if you get in the habit of placing it on the charging dock at the end of each day. And if you’re worried about the Bluetooth connection, don’t. ROCCAT’s Stellar Wireless technology lives up to expectations. I have yet to experience any noticeable lag or break in audio and I doubt I ever will.

There’s a lot to get inspired by when using the Syn Max Air wireless headset. It’s smooth as butter to listen to music with, and able to detect footsteps and ultimates in Call of Duty Modern Warfare II and Overwatch II. And that’s just the beginning. Its sound profile is also completely customizable so it’s always unique and adjustable to your own playstyle. It’s a damn good looking headset, it’s incredibly comfortable, and it comes complete with a rapid charging station. It’s easy to use and it screams luxury.

The only downside is that all of the improvements and the badass sound comes with a hefty price tag. The Syn Max Air costs $249 USD? It’s well worth the money if you’re looking for a high-end wireless, hassle-free headset, or if you’re looking for an upgrade. It’s probably not for those of you who don’t care about customization or if you’re just starting out. In that case, save your money and grab a headset that’s more budget-friendly.

***The product was provided by the manufacturer***