Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound Review: Featherlight Freedom or Audio Compromise?

I’ll never forget the marathon gaming session that nearly broke my neck. We were deep into a weekend-long raid, hours blurring together, fueled by caffeine and camaraderie. But as the sun began to rise on the second day, a dull ache in my neck had grown into a persistent, sharp pain. My premium, feature-packed gaming headset, a titan of audio engineering, had become a literal pain in the neck. It was heavy, clamped down with the force of a vice grip, and its leatherette earcups had turned my ears into a sauna. It was at that moment I realised a crucial truth: all the immersive sound in the world means nothing if you have to take the headset off every hour just to get some relief. This set me on a quest to find the holy grail: a wireless headset that was so light and comfortable, I could forget I was even wearing it, without completely sacrificing audio quality or my bank account.

What to Consider Before Buying a Wireless Gaming Headset

A wireless gaming headset is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for untethering your gaming experience, providing freedom of movement and eliminating the dreaded cable-snag that can pull you out of a critical moment. The main benefits are clear: a cleaner desk setup, the ability to grab a drink from the kitchen without dropping out of voice chat, and a more immersive feeling without being physically tethered to your machine. It solves the problems of clutter, restriction, and accidental damage from yanking on a cord.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing long hours at their desk, whether for gaming, work-from-home meetings, or media consumption. They value comfort and convenience above all else. This includes marathon gamers, remote workers tired of cord tangles, and multi-platform users who want one headset for their PC, console, and phone. However, a wireless headset might not be suitable for the absolute top-tier, esports-level competitive player who demands zero-latency and the most pristine, uncompressed audio, which a wired connection often provides more reliably. Similarly, audiophiles who prioritise music fidelity over gaming features might find dedicated music headphones to be a better, albeit less versatile, alternative.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Comfort & Weight: This is paramount for long sessions. Look at the total weight (under 250g is considered very lightweight), the clamping force of the headband, and the earcup materials. Breathable fabric is often better for long-term comfort and heat dissipation than leatherette, which can get warm and sweaty.
• Connectivity & Platform Support: How will you use it? A headset with tri-mode connectivity (2.4GHz USB dongle, Bluetooth, and 3.5mm wired) offers maximum versatility. The 2.4GHz connection is crucial for low-latency, high-fidelity gaming on PC and PlayStation, while Bluetooth is perfect for mobile devices and the Nintendo Switch.
• Audio Performance & Features: Don’t just look at driver size. Consider the sound signature. Is it tuned for bombastic bass in single-player games or for clear positional audio in competitive shooters? Features like virtual 7.1 surround sound can enhance immersion, but their effectiveness varies wildly between models and can sometimes muddy the sound.
• Battery Life & Microphone Quality: A wireless headset is useless if it’s always dead. Look for a battery life of at least 20 hours to get you through several long sessions. For the microphone, a detachable boom mic is a great feature for versatility, but listen to test recordings to ensure it provides clear, noise-free communication for your teammates or colleagues.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound stands out in several areas, particularly comfort and connectivity. You can explore its detailed specifications here.

While the Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: Is This Thing Even Real?

Upon unboxing the Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound, the first thing that struck me was its astonishing lack of weight. At a mere 178 grams, it felt almost toy-like in my hands, a stark contrast to the hefty, overbuilt headsets I’ve grown accustomed to. The initial reaction is a mix of wonder and a slight skepticism about its durability. The grey plastic construction is clean and minimalist, lacking the aggressive RGB lighting and “gamer” aesthetic of many competitors, which I personally appreciate. Inside the box, you find the headset itself, the detachable boom microphone, a USB-C charging cable, a 3.5mm audio cable, and the crucial 2.4GHz USB dongle. There’s no complex assembly; you just plug in the mic, and you’re ready to go. The earcups, padded with a soft memory foam and covered in a breathable fabric, felt immediately comfortable against the side of my head, promising relief from the heat buildup that plagues so many other over-ear designs.

Performance Deep Dive: Living with the Redragon H848

A headset’s true character is revealed not in a five-minute test, but over days and weeks of use—across frantic firefights, lengthy work calls, and relaxed music sessions. We put the Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound through its paces in every scenario to see if its incredible comfort came at the cost of core performance. The results were, for the most part, pleasantly surprising for a headset in this value tier.

Unrivalled Comfort: The 178-Gram Wonder

Let’s be unequivocally clear: the single greatest strength of the Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound is its comfort. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most comfortable headsets I have ever worn, regardless of price. The 178-gram weight is the star of the show. After a four-hour session of Baldur’s Gate 3, I genuinely forgot I was wearing it. There was no neck strain, no pressure point on the crown of my head, and no desperate urge to rip it off for a break. This sentiment is echoed by countless users, with one noting they are “light weight very comfortable” and another stating, “I have been using other high-end name brand headphones… I’ve been looking for something that doesn’t hurt the ears… This headset fit exactly what I was looking for.”

The design choices amplify this comfort. The clamping force is gentle, holding the headset securely in place without feeling like a medieval torture device. More importantly, the choice of breathable fabric for the earcups over the common pleather is a game-changer for long sessions. It prevents the heat and sweat buildup that makes many other headsets unbearable after an hour. While this open design means noise isolation isn’t as strong as on some rivals—as one user mentioned, “The headphones don’t push up on your head very strongly so there isn’t much noise cancelation”—I found it to be a worthy trade-off. You can still hear your own voice naturally, avoiding the disorienting feeling of shouting into the void. The lightweight plastic construction is the key to this comfort, but it does lead to some concerns about long-term durability, with one user describing it as feeling “like there gonna break in my hand.” In our testing, it held up to normal use without issue, but it’s certainly a headset to be handled with more care than a metal-reinforced alternative.

Tri-Mode Connectivity: Freedom Across All Your Devices

Versatility is the second pillar of the H848’s appeal. In a world where we juggle multiple devices, the tri-mode connection is a massive quality-of-life feature. For serious PC and PS5 gaming, the 2.4GHz wireless dongle is the only way to go. We found the connection to be stable and, as one user put it, “very much plug and play.” The latency was imperceptible for all but the most sensitive rhythm games, providing a responsive and reliable link. This is where you’ll want to be for any kind of competitive or immersive gaming.

Then there’s Bluetooth 5.0. With a quick button press, I seamlessly switched from my PC to my smartphone to listen to a podcast while doing chores. The ability to detach the mic and use the H848 as a standard pair of wireless headphones for music on the go is a fantastic bonus, a point highlighted by a user who said, “I’ll be honest, I sometimes pull out the mic and use these for music on my iPhone.” Finally, the inclusion of a 3.5mm wired option is a brilliant failsafe. If the battery dies mid-session (which is rare, given its longevity) or you want to connect to a device with no wireless capabilities like an Xbox controller, you’re covered. One user specifically praised this flexibility: “I like that you can connect it 3 different ways. 1 with cord, 2 Bluetooth and 3 dongle.” However, this seamless experience isn’t universal. Some users reported technical hitches, particularly on PC, with one experiencing “broken/choppy” sound and another finding it “impossible to connect the audio of input to a pc.” While we didn’t encounter these show-stopping bugs, it suggests some potential for software or driver conflicts on certain systems.

Audio Performance and 7.1 Surround Sound: Setting Expectations

When you have a headset this light, comfortable, and feature-rich at its price point, you have to wonder where the compromise is. For the Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound, it’s primarily in the audio department. Let’s be fair: the sound is not bad. In fact, for general use and casual gaming, it’s perfectly decent. As one user put it, the “sound quality was above avg for this value tier of headsets.” The 40mm drivers deliver a clear and balanced sound profile in the mid and high ranges. Dialogue in movies and games is crisp, and environmental effects in titles like The Witcher 3 are rendered with pleasing detail.

However, when you push it, the limitations appear. The bass response is noticeably weak. Explosions lack punch, and bass-heavy music genres feel flat. This was a common observation, with one user recommending “maybe better base?” This weakness becomes a more significant issue in competitive first-person shooters. One frustrated user stated, “el sonido es terrible no te lo recomiendo si vas a jugar juegos como warzone o apex” (the sound is terrible, I don’t recommend it if you’re going to play games like Warzone or Apex). We can confirm this. The virtual 7.1 surround sound, while adding a sense of space in atmospheric games, doesn’t provide the precise, tactical directional audio needed to pinpoint enemy footsteps in a high-stakes match. It’s a fun feature for immersion, not a tool for competitive advantage. For single-player adventures, YouTube, and conference calls, the audio is more than sufficient. For aspiring esports athletes, you’ll need to look at a higher price bracket.

Battery Life and Microphone Nuances

One area where the Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound punches well above its weight is battery life. Redragon claims 20-25 hours of use, and our testing validates this. We used the headset for several multi-hour gaming sessions over a week on a single charge, a fantastic performance that removes battery anxiety from the equation. One user was astounded, reporting, “I have used these for maybe about two weeks (2 hrs a day) and they are still at 90% battery life.” This longevity, combined with a quick 2.5-hour recharge time and the ability to use it wired while charging, means you’ll rarely be without audio.

The detachable microphone adds to the headset’s ‘jack-of-all-trades’ persona. Physically, it’s flexible and easy to position. For its primary function—voice chat—it performs adequately. In our Discord calls, teammates reported my voice was clear and understandable. This was confirmed by users, with one saying “The other gamers could hear me fairly well and no negative feedback” during initial use. However, the quality isn’t pristine. A more critical user noted that on PC, their friends said they sounded “funny, clear but muffled was how I was told.” This “muffled” quality seems to be a common trait for microphones in this price range. It’s perfectly serviceable for game callouts and work meetings, as one professional user noted, “This sounds better and is so much easier to use than the wired option” for conference calls. But it’s not a microphone you would use for streaming or content creation where broadcast-quality audio is required.

What Other Users Are Saying

Synthesizing the broader user experience, a clear picture of the Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound emerges. The overwhelming majority of positive feedback centers on its two standout features: comfort and value. Users consistently praise its “light weight very comfortable” design, calling it “perfect” for long sessions without fatigue. The battery life is another frequently lauded point, with many surprised at how long it lasts between charges. The tri-mode connectivity is also a huge plus for those who use multiple devices.

On the other hand, the critiques are just as consistent. The most common complaint is directed at the audio quality, with one user succinctly stating, “Audio could be better but can’t complain too much” for the price. The lack of deep bass and subpar performance in competitive shooters is a recurring theme. A few users encountered technical issues, ranging from choppy sound to microphone connectivity problems on PC. The lightweight build, while a pro for comfort, is also a source of concern for some, who feel the plastic construction is flimsy. As one user noted, “They are decent headphones but not the best… Not the best quality.” This feedback paints a realistic portrait of a headset that nails the fundamentals of comfort and convenience for its price but makes tangible compromises in audio fidelity and build materials.

How Does the Redragon H848 Compare to the Alternatives?

The Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound exists in a fiercely competitive market. To understand its true value, it’s essential to see how it stacks up against other popular options at different price points and feature sets.

1. Ozeino Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound

The Ozeino headset is a direct competitor to the Redragon H848, targeting the same budget-conscious wireless gaming audience. Its biggest advantage is a massive 45-hour battery life, nearly double what the H848 offers, which is a significant plus for users who hate charging their devices. It also features ENC (Environmental Noise Cancelling) on its detachable microphone, which may provide clearer voice chat in noisy environments compared to the H848’s more basic mic. However, the Ozeino is likely to be heavier than the featherlight Redragon, making the H848 the superior choice for gamers who prioritize long-session comfort and minimalist design above all else. The choice here comes down to whether you prefer ultimate battery life (Ozeino) or ultimate comfort (Redragon).

2. Logitech G PRO X 2 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset

Comparing the Redragon H848 to the Logitech G PRO X 2 is a lesson in diminishing returns. The Logitech is a premium, pro-grade headset that costs several times more. For that price, you get vastly superior audio quality from its 50mm Graphene drivers, professional-grade microphone clarity with Blue VO!CE software, and a much more robust and premium build quality. Its DTS Headphone:X 2.0 surround sound is also a significant step up for tactical audio. However, it’s also heavier and less versatile out of the box for casual mobile use. The Logitech G PRO X 2 is for the serious competitive gamer or audiophile who is willing to pay a premium for top-tier performance. The Redragon H848 is for the everyday gamer who wants 80% of the wireless convenience for 20% of the price.

3. Corsair HS35 v2 Wired Gaming Headset

The Corsair HS35 v2 represents the wired alternative. By ditching the complexities of wireless technology (transmitters, batteries, Bluetooth), the HS35 v2 can focus the entire budget on sound and build quality, often delivering better raw audio performance than a similarly priced wireless headset. It offers guaranteed zero latency and universal compatibility with any device featuring a 3.5mm jack, including Xbox, which the H848’s dongle does not support. The clear trade-off is the wire. You’re tethered to your device, giving up the freedom and clean setup of a wireless solution. Someone who plays exclusively at a desk on a single console and prioritizes the best possible sound for the lowest price would prefer the Corsair. The Redragon H848 is for the user who values wireless freedom and multi-device flexibility above all else.

Final Verdict: An Exceptional Choice for Comfort-Seeking Gamers on a Budget

After extensive testing, our verdict on the Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound is overwhelmingly positive, provided you understand exactly what you are buying. This is not a headset for the competitive esports pro or the discerning audiophile. The audio, while clear, lacks the punchy bass and precise positional detail required for high-level play. However, for the vast majority of gamers, remote workers, and casual media consumers, this headset is a triumph of design and value.

Its defining feature is its sublime, forget-it’s-on-your-head comfort, made possible by its featherlight 178g frame and breathable earcups. This, combined with its fantastic battery life and incredibly versatile tri-mode connectivity, makes it a joy to use day in and day out across PC, console, and mobile. It masterfully solves the problem of heavy, uncomfortable headsets and tangled wires. If you’re a gamer who regularly pulls 4+ hour sessions and values comfort and wireless freedom over bombastic, audiophile-grade sound, the Redragon H848 is not just a good option; it’s one of the best you can get for the price.

If you’ve decided the Redragon H848 BT Wireless Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound is the right fit for your marathon sessions, you can check its current price and purchase it here.