The Fnatic Gear Duel is hands-down the most interesting headset we have tested so far in our labs in terms of modularity; thanks to the innovative design from AIAIAI, the product can be disassembled to the last bit, in order to obtain a configuration which will better suit our current needs. Since we are talking about a model with 40 mm Neodymium drivers which is based on an analog Stereo interface, the quality of the sound output is also dictated by the source so if you are using a low-end smartphone with a poor audio CODEC or even a PC/laptop with a noisy CODEC of a similar type, you won’t be able to properly experience the product.

For trying out the Duel, we have plugged it into our Creative Sound Blaster ZxR sound card and started the listening experience. We have left the EQ values to default in several TV shows, a couple of movies but also ran multiple games such as DOOM, GTA V, Rise of Tomb Raider, Black Desert Online and TOXIKK; the voices sounded loud and clear, we have found the middle frequencies well-represented and as we have suspected from a gaming headset, the bass is fine-tuned so the explosions, car engines and gun shots can be experienced in high detail. Usually, some manufacturers are using 50mm drivers to acquire a similar experience, but AIAIAI and Fnatic were able to work things out on smaller drivers too.

When first using the boom microphone in a Skype conference, our colleagues told us that they were hearing us a bit muffled and found out that the reason for that was the microphone is unidirectional by nature, in order to avoid picking up noise from around. The trick is to have the mic boom oriented with the orange line towards our mouth -> by following these instructions we were heard loud and clear and could continue the gaming session in good conditions.

Now to the negative aspects of the headset: well, the product does not seem to feature an in-line volume control, which could be very handy; secondly, the top padding of the headband not as soft as we would have liked and after a few hours of usage we needed to reposition it in order not to cause discomfort. This aspect has a workaround, by simply adjusting the drivers so the headband would barely touch our head. The third downside is the price, which is currently set at 189.9 Euros and is a bit steep for many potential customers.

Fnatic Gear Duel Modular Gaming Headset is Recommended for:

We would like to thank again to Fnatic Gear for making this review possible!