Review of the Sades Knight Plus Wired Gaming Headset

Audio equipment is by no means limited to audiophiles and music junkies. There’s a huge market of gaming accessories that vary widely in their functionality and audio quality. Typically, shoppers in this category are either long term gamers who know exactly what they want, or beginners who have no idea what to expect or prioritize in a gaming headset.

Beyond knowing what to look for, it can be difficult to understand how much weight to put on certain features. For example, how important is it to have a high-quality mic? What are the ideal frequency ranges for a gaming headset versus a regular set of headphones? That’s where we come in. In order to take the confusion out of your gaming accessory search, we track down the best products and review them so you know what to look for and what you’re getting.

Sades is not the most common brand name when it comes to gaming equipment and headsets, but they certainly have their niche. A while back, we reviewed the Sades SA-807, which we found to be an excellent starter headset for beginner gamers on a budget. In the past, that market is where Sades has excelled. They are a good go-to brand for beginners and users who want a functional headset at a low price. However, Sades has recently tried to up their game. The Knight Plus Wired Gaming Headset falls into the price range of slightly more high end products, making it a highly-anticipated product for Sades fans and possibly a surprising new competitor for those less familiar.

Sades had done a number of interesting things to up the ante in recent years, including re-branding their product design and package. They’ve also made some headway with Bluetooth compatible headsets and other gaming peripherals, clearly edging their way into a more competitive market. The real question is whether the Knight Plus is the product that thrusts the Sades brand into an improved category of gaming accessories, or if it falls short and send them back to the drawing board.

First Look

The predecessor to the Sades Knight Plus is the Sades Knight. At first glance, it appears Sades didn’t change much aesthetically. The color scheme is the same, with the bulk of the headphones being matte black, complimented by neon blue LED lights on the earcup housings, microphone, and even running up the headband. Like its predecessor, the Sades Knight Plus also has a bright blue strip around the ear pads and blue fabric under the mesh in the ear cups. The Sades logo also lights up blue, and can be found on both earcup housings.

The first noticeable difference between the Sades Knight Plus and its predecessor is the cable. As anyone familiar with the Sades Knight will know, the braided fiber wire was a problematic and apparently not very well thought out addition. Sades has thankfully heard the complaints and opted for a reinforced plastic cable instead, which is a significant improvement.

The Knight Plus has an easily accessible control panel on the cable, which also boasts the blue LED lights. From the control panel, you have access to volume control, mic, mute and the LED switch. The headphones also come with a protective drawstring bag for easy storage when you’re not using them.  To really discover where the major updates are with the Knight Plus, we’ll have to dig a bit deeper.

Build Quality

Like the outer aesthetics, not much appears to have changed in terms of the build quality from the Knight to the Knight Plus. This, however, is certainly not a bad sign seeing as the Knight was a very solid headset (with the minor exception of the braided cable). The Knight Plus has a thick, slightly flexible headband that can easily withstand daily wear and the occasional angry yanking from the head after a hard loss. The plastic materials that makes up the bulk of the headphones are nothing particularly special, but definitely respectable quality and strong enough you won’t have pieces snapping off on you.

All the moving joints, such as the mic and the size adjusters in the headband, are solidly built. The movements are sturdy and there is no jamming or fussiness. The soft, leathery material around the ear pads is about what you’d expect from a mid-range product. It may not be as durable as genuine leather, but it’s more than enough for the typical gamer and will likely last as long as you own the headphones.

The buttons on the control panel are also well designed, and also very similar to the original Knight. The buttons are flat, which is favorable when you want them to last longer. There are no button caps (which can fall off or slowly become ineffective), which increases the overall longevity of the product. While you wouldn’t want to be excessively rough with the Knight Plus, it’s definitely a product that withstand the usual wear and tear no problem.

Sound Quality

The sound quality in a gaming headset has a different set of standards than that of a normal set of headphones. Plus, with the mic being such an important feature of any good headset, you want to make sure the voice transmission is good as well. Some premium brands offer astounding sound quality, and can even be good enough to double as perfectly good music headphones as well. However, this level of sound quality is not crucial for the everyday gamer, especially consider the exponential increase in cost that comes with a product of that caliber.

In that context, as a mid range product, the Sades Knight Plus is pretty impressive. The low frequencies are noticeably improved from the original Knight. The overall soundscape is clear and effective, meaning poor audio quality won’t let you down during game play. The Bluetooth 7.1 surround sound channel gives you an immersive gaming experience, all complimented by .50mm dynamic speakers that give the extra punchiness to the bass. The microphone is great as well. It comes with a noise reduction function that further increases the immersiveness of the audio as reduces the amount of external noise coming through the mic.

Comfort

Regardless of your level of experience as a gamer, comfort is one of the most important features of any good headset. It’s what allows you to play for extended periods of time without discomfort getting in the way of your abilities. Thankfully, Sades made no sacrifices in the comfort quality of the Knight Plus.

For starters, the earpads are a protein earmuff with memory foam that molds perfectly to the shape of your face and remains comfortable for as long as you wear them. The Knight Plus also has three padded sections on the headband, so the weight of the headphones is alleviated by more memory foam, reducing any discomfort on the tender spots at the top of your head. The adjustable headband also allows you to enjoy a custom fit regardless of your head size. While the Knight Plus is not the most lightweight headset, it’s as comfortable as any mid range product and won’t cause excessive discomfort when worn for long periods of time.

Compatibility

One of the gravest errors one can make while buying a gaming headset is not double checking the compatibility. It’s crucial to know what kind of hardware and software you want to use your headset for before you choose a product, since most gaming headsets are not universally compatible. This is true of the Knight Plus. If most of your gaming is done on a console, the Knight Plus is not the headset for you. It’s incompatible with PS3, PS4, and Xbox 360. The Knight Plus is specifically designed for laptop and computer use only. It’s the perfect headset for Windows 10 users, or for anyone looking for a computer-specific headset.

Value

Admittedly, there are a handful of slightly better headsets on the market in the price range of the Knight Plus. That being said, anyone who is an established fan of the Sades brand will certainly be pleased with the improved Sades Knight Plus. The Sades Knight Plus is a solid computer-specific gaming headset with all the features you need, and comes at a very affordable price. It’s a reliable, comfortable product with impressive audio features and is definitely up to par with other products in its price category.

Final Words

If you’re a serious or highly experienced gamer with some money to burn, these might not be your first choice. However, if you’re a beginner or simply a casual gamer looking to take things to the next level, the Sades Knight Plus is an exciting and perfectly suited option. This is not a headset for gaming console users, but for any computer gamers who want a good quality headset at an affordable price, the Sades Knight Plus is a perfect option.