FANTECH, the gaming peripheral company based in Indonesia who previously sent the Orbita WHG07 for my review, has just sent me another headset. It is the Studio Pro V2, a successor to the first Studio Pro model. This headset retails for USD 48.80 and is available at their online shop for worldwide shipping and at Fantech retail stores.
The Studio Pro V2 comes in a compact retail package and the headset feels really lightweight. I love the fabric ear cups and headband as they tend to last longer than the artificial leather and more breathable for use in tropical countries. The headband is spring-loaded so it extends to fit your head as you wear it, and retracts when you remove it, which makes it so convenient to store it after use. The headset also folds easily, and to top it off, the built-in boom mic flips in and out from the ear cup when needed.
As a salaried office worker that attends daily online calls, I appreciate compact headsets that I can carry around and use conveniently. I have tried a wide range of products from the entry-level Creative and the gaming-centric ROG to the office pro-grade Jabra. One of my favourite headsets was the Jabra evolve2 65 Flex, but after I tried the Studio Pro V2, I decided that this is a worthy replacement for my office use.
Like Orbita, the Studio Pro V2 supports four ways to connect to your device – 2.4GHz USB dongle, Bluetooth, USB cable, and 3.5mm cable. The dongle is custom designed to support both USB Type-A and USB-C. The slim USB-C dongle connects to the portable device without protruding, but when using it on a laptop, the dongle would block the adjacent USB-C port.
When it comes to audio balance, the Studio Pro V2 via wireless 2.4GHz USB dongle is tuned with a popular V-shaped EQ which is easy to like. Its bass is generously satisfying but not excessive, the treble is sparkly, leaving the midrange unengaging. The Bluetooth mode also exhibits similar tuning, and like the other wireless mode, the codecs do not deliver as good audio resolution at the upper frequencies and make them sound grainy. The 3.5mm is the passive mode which do not require battery operation. In this mode, the mic works but not the volume control. The audio balance is also skewed towards the lower frequencies with muffled midrange and flat treble.
The best sounding mode is with direct USB cable, which delivers the highest fidelity detail in the treble section while the bass delivers better dynamics. Using the Windows software, I EQ to elevate the midrange and taming the mid bass to achieve my preferred balance. The EQ software and other features like Virtual 7.1 and Mic Effect works only when the headset is connected via the USB dongle and USB cable. I find the 7.1 mode did not produce any significant alterations to the imaging, only slightly more expansive, as the original stereo imaging is already quite spatial.
Despite varying audio performance, I find no issues when using the Studio Pro V2 for meeting calls. I can hear conversations very well, and the other parties also can hear my voice without issues. The boom mic quality may vary depending on the call application that you use as these apps like Teams come with background noise removal features. Among the 4 modes, the 3.5mm mic quality is the weakest while the USB cable mode is the best. To mute the mic, double-click the power button.
On battery life, the Studio Pro V2 is rated to deliver 40 hours usage per charge. In real-life test, the headset reached 32 hours before triggering “battery low” alert. As long as the headset is actively connected, it does not auto power off even without audio activity.
Verdict
The Fantech Studio Pro V2 is a versatile headset solution that conveniently connects through any of the four modes for gaming, office calls, and music. Whether 3.5mm or USB digital or Bluetooth wireless and even low-latency 2.4GHz, there is nothing that the headset cannot connect to, even if it runs out of battery.
At USD 10 more, the Fantech Orbita seems better value, has a better build quality, and offers a lot more battery capacity. But if you want a more lightweight headset with e foldable boom mic that is more portable to carry around, the Studio Pro V2 is my recommendation. Order yours via their online store.