The Quest has arrived, and it’s fantastic! Everything you need to game has been built right in, including speakers! But what if you want more? Maybe you want full immersion or better sound quality. This is where the Oculus Quest In-Ear Headphones come in.
THE BASICS
What problem are these headphones solving? Despite the convenience of the built-in speakers on the Oculus Quest, there are some games and experiences where you want more. Let me start by saying I am a HI-FI nerd, so I take audio very seriously, and I must say, these earbuds don’t disappoint! They have powerful bass and are very well balanced. I was afraid these would be muddy, bassy or harsh, but that’s simply not the case.
When I first received my Quest, I tried every manner of headphones I could: Over-Ear, in-ear, Bluetooth, everything. Bluetooth has its own issues, and the problem with most other headphones is cable management. I tried 100 ways to wrap, strap, and secure my headphone cables with my other headphones, and I wasn’t satisfied with the outcome. I was left with either too much wire, and it would brush up against me, or I secured it too well, and it became a stressful chore to remove the headset without yanking on the cables. For a reasonable price, these entirely solve that issue. Two individual earbuds, each with a short cable (one for each side of the Quest), is the perfect solution.
SETUP
There’s not much to say here. One thing I will mention is when I first took these headphones out of the box, I plugged them straight in and was off to the races. However, I noticed that I was receiving the left audio channel in my right ear and the right in my left. Odd. After taking them out and analyzing them closer, I discovered that each 1/8th-inch jack has a small R or L on it. I’m not sure how these buds tell the Quest which ear is which, but if you switch them over, you will get spatially-reversed audio. Once I had this fixed, they worked flawlessly.
PLAYABILITY
Once I started using these, I found it very hard to go back to the built-in speakers. Aside from the increase in audio quality and isolation, you have the added benefit of a better multiplayer experience. At least for your friends. I’ve convinced most of my friends to get these for one primary reason. I’m sure most of you have noticed that if you are playing an online game with your friends, especially one with a lot of action, you will hear a substantial amount of “feedback” on your end. This comes from the fact that both the mic and the speakers are sharing the same space. What I mean by this is, whatever you hear from the game, your mic is picking up as well.
The Quest does a reasonably good job at masking game audio and only sending your mic audio to your friends, but as I stated earlier, there are some games that more action than the system can handle. That is where you get the annoying feedback coming through to your end. By using these earbuds, you separate the signals. The ONLY thing your friends here is your voice audio. The game audio is neatly tucked away inside of your earbuds.
USABILITY
Ergonomically, the Quest In-Ear Headphones are some of the most comfortable earbuds that I own. They are small enough to fit solidly in most ears and are very light. Once I have them in, I barely notice them.
LONGEVITY
This is the part that worries me a little. Although I’ve had no issue yet, I was surprised at how light these tiny buds are. Though convenient for usage, I feel they may have sacrificed longevity for weight. Only time will confirm or deny this, but I have found myself being particularly delicate with my handling of these earbuds. I’m not taking any chances.
LAST WORDS
The Oculus Quest In-Ear Headphones earbuds are a quality upgrade to your VR experience in more than one way. If you are frustrated with trying to make other headphones work, want better sound quality, better mic quality, or want a more immersive experience, these are a smart buy. If you can afford them, we highly recommend them. You can get them from Amazon (which helps us out a little) or from Oculus.
