Creative have a new series of gaming headset under the Sound Blaster brand. We take a look at the Tactic 3D Sigma.
Product on Review: Tactic3D Sigma Gaming Headset
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Creative
Street Price: Approx £65-75 inc. VAT (GBP)
At Vortez we have reviewed quite a number of gaming headsets so today the Tactic3D Sigma is under tough scrutiny but as always we are keen advocates of Creative and have been impressed with their products in the past so why should that change? As they say – ‘the proof is in the pudding’ so lets begin our analysis of the Tactic3D Sigma.
Creative’s Take on Tactic3D Sigma:
Experience high-resolution 3D gaming audio with the Sound Blaster Tactic3D Sigma gaming headset. Hear the clash of weaponry and the sound of footsteps as if they are really happening with high-resolution 50mm Neodymium drivers that produce the finer details of game audio. Touchscreen software and TacticProfile™ allow you to save and share your favorite settings including THX® TruStudio Pro Surround™ for immersive 360º headphone surround and VoiceFX™ voice morphing technology. In addition, enjoy a choice of analog or USB connection with Dual Mode™. Use the headset in analog mode with standard minijacks or connect the Dual Mode™ USB adapter to your PC or Mac for the full THX TruStudio Pro™ experience.
Technical Specifications
Driver Units
– 50mm Neodymium magnet
Frequency Response
– 20Hz ~ 20kHz
Impedance
– 32ohms
Sensitivity
– 102dB/mW
Microphone Type
– Noise Cancelling Condenser
Frequency Response
– 80Hz ~ 14kHz
Impedance
<2.2kohms
Sensitivity
-41dBV/Pa
Packaging & First Look
As is custom to most headsets the Tactic3D Sigma is presented to us in a semi-transparent box this allows us a sneak preview of the headset inside. The front has very little to outline
the features – instead these can be found on the reverse of the box and we will go into them throughout the review.
The Sound Blaster Tactic3D Sigma packaging captures the eye
Inside the box we have an instructions manual, warranty book, a mic and most notably a THX adapter. This adapter allows you connect via USB. So with the Tactic3D Sigma we can use 3.5mm minijack to connect to onboard audio or MP3 player or USB for use with Mac or PC. Using the USB mode we can take advantage of THX TruStudio Pro technology – this delivers 3D surround via software. Notice there is no software CD included, software has to be downloaded from the Creative website. We will take a closer look at this software a little later.
Included accessories – USB or minijack options
With the Tactic3D out of the box we can see the headset follows a similar design structure and layout to most closed headset/headphones. Let’s take a closer look at the headset.
Our first glimpse of the headset
Closer Look
The earcups have hard plastic panels on the outer shell. Within there is a Sound Blaster metallic emblem and a blue border. The earcups will rotate 90°.Over on the otherside, the inner earcup has been given a very soft leather ring. This feels comfortable and smooth. Inside these earcups we have 50mm Neodymium drivers that should offer clear, high-resolution sound. A little later I will report on how well these drivers perform.
The outer earcup of the Tactic3D Sigmas
Inner earcup is very comfortable
The headband on the Tactic3D Sigma incorporates a steel core structure making it extremely durable. On the outer side the Tactic3D motif is engraved into the plastic to give it a professional finish – this headband is adjustable and the headband will extend to fit different sized heads.
The inner section of the headband features an imitation leather cushion. Just like the earcups the material used here is very comfortable and will assist with reducing any annoyances whilst engaging in long gaming sessions.
The outer headband with typography to give it that professional look
The inner head band with soft cushion to assist with comfort
Being a headset our Tactic3D Sigma must have a microphone. The microphone on this unit is detachable and is simply a minijack. As we have seen on other headsets the microphone is malleable – meaning it will flex to any position but then remain fixed.
Detachable microphone for teamplay
Lastly, the Tactic3D Sigma has a volume control unit allowing you to keep sound at the right setting on-the-fly. On this unit there is also a clip and a button to disable the microphone. Notice the cable on the headset isn’t circular like the typical cable you find on a peripheral but this cable is tangle-free and flat.
Volume control unit with microphone disable button
Software – TacticControl
To get the most out of the Tactic3D Sigma we need to install the TacticControl software. Now, you would expect this to come bundled with the headset itself but you actually have to go to the Creative website and download this software independently.
TacticControl allows you to gain access to the THX TruStudio Pro audio suite as well as custom graphic equalizer and VoiceFX controls – although the software isn’t exactly comprehensive it does still offer some interesting features.
EQ can be tweaked to fine tune certain elements
Inside we can customise EQ and audio profiles, and then export and share them with other gamers. You can also use pre-configured audio settings from world-renowned gamers such as Fatal1ty, compLexity and Team Dignitas.
Creative have been keen to integrate VoiceFX within their headset products. This software allows you to morph your voice into different in-game characters with VoiceFX technology and restore surround audio to your Windows XP games in Windows 7 with Creative ALchemy. It can be quite a fun feature to take advantage of, especially if you play WoW.
Being a Creative product we also have VoiceFX integrated
Performance & Comfort
With the Creative Tactic3D Sigma headset being designed for gaming its only fair that we observe its performance in the gaming environment. Although it is primarily a gaming peripheral, that isn’t to say it won’t be used for other applications such as music and movies. Therefore, it is useful to those reading this article that I report the headsets performance in multiple environments. So bearing all these aspects in mind – gaming, music and movies will be considered to give a decent and profound assumption of the performance of our headset today.
Its always good practise to compare the headset in question against other solutions too, so I will be testing the Tactic3D Sigma headset along-side the Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty, SteelSeries Siberia V2 and 7H and ROCCAT Kulo. These headsets are well regarded gaming peripherals within the community. They are recognised as being quality audio solutions. It’s also important to keep the testing on a fair plane – so for the purpose of this examination, audio will be provided via the 5.1 onboard solution found on the ASUS Rampage III Formula.
Gaming
Gaming headsets are generally designed with FPS (First Person Shooter) gamers in mind, so with this in mind the following games were loaded up for some hardcore FPS gaming sessions.
Call of Duty Black Ops
Battlefield Bad Company 2
Both of the above are extremely popular gaming titles and feature not only intense visual action but also strong, pulsating audio tones from explosions, gunfire and other audio effects.
Overall sound quality in-game was good, using the minijack for audio playback offered good sound quality and using USB upped that sound quality to great – giving greater clarity and a much punchier bass. The Tactic3D Sigma offers pleasing balance across both titles, sound is accurate and precise. Compared to other rivals from SteelSeries and ROCCAT the Creative representative stands out as a solid gaming headset.
NOTE: I did test the microphone out and discovered no apparent flaws. It was precise, accurate and crisp as with other mics we have tested on headsets.
Music & Movies
For this series of tests. I played the following tracks which offer a vast range of audio tones and also watched a short action scene of Clash of the Titans on Blu-Ray.
The Naked and the Famous – Punching in a dream
Milk Inc. – In My eyes
Linkin Park – Waiting for the End
Audio playback featured in the tracks above and the movie scene were handled rather well by the Tactic3D Sigma, although bass was quite a bit overpowering using the USB variant. Thankfully though, various sound attributes can be modified using the headsets software…
Bass quite overpowering but can be altered using software
Music was good using the Tactic3D Sigma but I felt it could be better. Clarity seemed to be affected by this overwhelming bass – although it can be tweaked within the software it was still present. The action scene that was played on our movie featured some dramatic background music and sword action with plenty of well-planned choreography . The audio delivered via the Tactic3D Sigma was good. Primarily this headset is designed for gaming use and in that arena it does extremely well – for music and movies the performance isn’t as exact but still, this headset offers good overall performance.
Comfort
Our headset under the spotlight today presented no comfort issues at all. Even after many hours of gaming. Thanks to the soft cushioning and weight the headset doesn’t add additional weight that can often by a problem with closed gaming headsets – simply because they are big.
Conclusion
Creative are no stranger to the audio arena. They have been a big player in this department for countless years with the Sound Blaster brand synonymous to high-quality audio solutions for the enthusiast.Today’s review continues the trait that Sound Blaster carries with it. The Tactic3D Sigma is a success within its own right – delivering great audio quality in the mid-price range.
In terms of audio performance the Tactic3D Sigma delivers rich audio – accurate, precise sound with a punchy bass to compliment. Switching from minijack to USB via the THX converter enables an upgrade to better sound quality and access to TacticControl software – bringing in yet more features to take advantage of. Music and movie audio quality does have its deficiencies, bass reproduction appears to be a little overwhelming at times but remember – this headset is primarily designed for gaming usage.
It’s nice to have the option of being able to use the headset via minijack or USB. The cable is a nice touch too being tangle-free and flat. Priced at approximately £75 inc. VAT (GBP) the Tactic3D Sigma is in direct competition with the likes of SteelSeries Siberia V2 and the ROCCAT Kave and is a great alternative.
The bottom line is: The Tactic3D Sigma is a great looking headset that delivers the audio quality that gamers are looking for at a favourable price.
Pros
+ Great visual appearance
+ Pleasing audio performance
+ Flexible functionality
+ THX TruStudio Pro
Cons
– Sponge on mic very loose
– No software in package – must download
+ Great visual appearance
+ Pleasing audio performance
+ Flexible functionality
+ THX TruStudio Pro
Cons
– Sponge on mic very loose
– No software in package – must download
