There’s a lot to like about the new TRITTON ARK 200 headset that makes it a great peripheral for listening to audio, especially game audio, and bar some minor user experience issues, this is definitely a headset we can recommend.
Indeed, the TRITTON ARK 200 headset is a bit of a looker, with its matte black primary colouring and orange accents. It stands out with understated class. Power it on and a small light in the tip of the microphone tells you it’s on; an initially tricky to spot indicator. However, switch the supposed RGB lighting on and the TRITTON logo on each ear piece lights up brightly and really catches the eye. In our experience we could only switch between red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, a mere seven colours from the RGB spectrum of 16,777,216, either as individual colours gently pulsing or a mode that cycles between them, the RGB proclamations on the box and in the manual appeared absent.
Certainly, a misunderstanding of RGB could be the case here, the instruction manual is poorly localised into English and is very tricky to read and clarify precisely how the headset should work, however, basic operation is intuitive. On PS4 and PC, its two supported platforms, it was very much a ‘plug and play’ experience. The USB Bluetooth dongle plugs into any USB slot, and a hold of the power button on the headset brings it to life, with the connection occurring automatically. There is a sync button on the headset if re-syncing is necessary, but in our testing it all worked immediately and without issue.
Ten metres is the supported range, and that proved true, with the connection impressively being maintained well beyond that without distortion. And thanks to the headset’s lightweight and comfortable cushioned ear pieces, it never proved a burden to wear. It does, however, get pretty warm at the ears, a side effect of the fabric not being as breathable as others, but it was a minor nuisance, especially as the ear pieces were large enough to surround the ear rather than sit on them, which makes for a more comfortable experience. Moreover, the wireless transmission was clean and lag free, making for a wonderful cable-free experience and crystal clear audio.
The ARK 200 headset achieves excellent frequency coverage, with pleasant results with low bass and high treble as well as anything in between. Two drivers in each ear, a 60mm main driver that handles bass and mid-range and a 10mm tweaker for the high frequencies, provides excellent sounds regardless of the medium. When playing music, the separation is brilliant with bass and vocals coming across strong, meanwhile, ambient sounds in games and films are subtle and clear, and party chat voices are terrifically crisp.
The microphone on PC, even with the gain turned up fully, is a little on the quiet side for normal speaking volume, although it is audible when there’s nothing else to distract the listener. However, with game audio as well, you can easily be drowned out. On the other hand, on PS4 you can boost the gain much further and pick up normal speaking volume no problem, and splendidly this doesn’t introduce any noise. It’s truly excellent for console gaming, and the light on the tip of the mic, while a little too subtle when indicating whether the headset was on, it’s visibility just in the periphery of your vision when wearing the headset makes for a great indicator for when the mic’s active (blue) or muted (red).
The TRITTON ARK 200 headset provides great audio, looks ace and feels comfortable, has excellent wireless range and quality, and features a microphone that’s terrific on PS4, it’s a shame it’s a bit quiet on PC though. As such we have no reservations about recommending this headset for PS4, and with a RRP of less than £100, this is a quality headset at a compelling price point.
