From the DriverStorer archive

I had many mixed reactions from people when I told them I was going to review the Zalman ZM-RS6F Theatre 6.  I can file all of these reactions into three categories:

1)        5.1 headphones? I didn’t know they made those.
2)        Why are you reviewing an almost 8 year old product?
3)        Why not review the newer USB version?

These questions I’ll answer as I progress through this review.

Price: $40-$55 range

Zalman ZM-RS6F Specifications

Unit Type                                 Electro Dynamic Round Type Micro Speaker
Frequency Response            50Hz ~ 20KHz
Sound Pressure Level           89 dB ± 3 dB at 50mW
Impedance                              16 Ohm at 1KHz
Nominal Power                       0.02W
Maximum Power                     0.15W
Weight                                    11.24oz (316.8g) without packaging
Cord                                        Straight, Triple entry 9.8ft (300cm)
Plug                                          3 headphone jacks (3.5mm)

Zalman ZM-RS6F Packaging

The Zalman ZM-RS6F Theatre 6 headphones/headset come packaged in a clear, plastic, bubble-like enclosure that shows the purchaser the headphones in their folded state, with the three audio jacks (front, center/sub, rear) in the hopes that potential buyers will see that these headsets are special- utilizing three (yes, three) audio jacks.  Specifications and precautions for the Zalman ZM-RS6F can be found on the underside of the packaging.

The test Zalman ZM-RS6F headphones I received for this review were purchased from http://www.jr.com/. Unfortunately, the ZM-RS6F I received from jr.com was OPENED. The plastic dome was separated from the cardboard base (that was supposed to be glued on) when I opened the carrier’s shipping box. I was very disappointed to see this. The disappointment is not directed towards Zalman or more specifically the ZM-RS6F, yet the audacity of jr.com to ship a product that was obviously opened and tampered with. I was able to tell that the headset had been completely removed from the packaging, due to the fact that the plastic slots the audio jacks were stuck in were obviously bent post-factory, indicating that the jacks had been removed from the packaging. I was not in the mood to go through the headaches of filing an RMA for this headset, so I gave them a light dusting in Lysol spray and with great fear I plugged them in and everything seemed to be working OK.

Shame on you http://www.jr.com/ for shipping a product, nevertheless an “intimate” product, a product that a user would wear on a daily basis, in an obviously tampered-with state. An open box video card, motherboard, or other product is bad enough, but to ship something that someone is supposed to wear is even worse.a

Zalman ZM-RS6F Design

Now is a good time to mention that the Zalman ZM-RS6F headphones are TRUE 5.1 headphones, utilizing 3speakers in each ear piece to place the user in an actual 3D audio environment. This is unlike many headsets thatclaim to “emulate” 3D positioning with software utilizing only 2 drivers, one per ear piece.  One note though, becausethere is no actual subwoofer in the Zalman ZM-RS6F headphones, they should be considered a “5.0” headset.

An inner glance at the internal workings of one of the earpieces confirms that each driver has its own corresponding pair of wires leading from the main wire of the Zalman ZM-RS6F headphones.

There is a little thought put behind how the sound is channeled from the front and rear speakers to the ear, and that can be seen with the plastic “ribs” and circular dimples found in the construction of the ear piece.

General construction of the Zalman ZM-RS6F is sturdy enough, especially for a headset in this price range. In fact, I have come across many headsets that sit in  double the price range that seemed less sturdy. The Zalman ZM-RS6F doesn’t have an in-line volume control either. FOR THIS I THANK ZALMAN. I can’t stress enough how much I hate in-line volume controls on headsets. In-line volume controls are usually of extremely poor quality, usually the first part of a head set to fail, and are an excuse to increase the cost of the product and otherwise ruin a halfway decent head set. For those out there who don’t have a keyboard with volume controls on it, I suggest you invest in one. Many consider
the no in-line volume control to be a major setback of the Zalman ZM-RS6F, but I consider it a major blessing. The Zalman ZM-RS6F comes with an extremely long cord, which can be of great use or a hassle. You most certainly won’t have to worry about your desktop being too far for your headset to reach your head, or worry about standing up and ripping the cord from the back of your PC and damaging components. If you feel that the cord is too long, simply bundle the excess wire near the connecting point with a rubber band. No USB means no additional device drivers, which equates to fewer headaches, fewer device driver conflicts and true plug and play ability.

Zalman ZM-RS6F Ergonomics/Comfort

The ear muffs of the Zalman ZM-RS6F are of the same pleather the top head band is made out of, with a cloth membrane separating your ear from the plastic within. Your ear does not press up against this plastic, and the ear muffs sit comfortably around your ears.

If your ears don’t comfortably fit within these muffs, you probably have really big ears.At first, even with adjustment the Zalman ZM-RS6F has a tight fit, and this can be attributed to its robust-enough design, however after some use the plastic will eventually give way to your skull and provide hours of audio enjoyment on end.

Zalman ZM-RS6F Sound Quality

The Zalman ZM-RS6F headphones have an audio quality that may surprise some for the price they pay. Clear highs and low enough lows make for a reasonable audio experience.  The bass will not blow your mind. However, I wouldn’t expect a headset in the $40-$50 range to do so. Keep in mind that there are in fact 6 speakers in this headset, so, “these head phones are not loud enough” will not be a phrase you can honestly utter.

One possible short coming of the Zalman ZM-RS6F headset is the fact that not all sound cards are created equal, which is not necessarily Zalman’s fault in design.  Even though you may have an on-board sound card that claims 5.1 audio, the DB gain that comes from the center/sub and rear ports is usually not as high as the DB gain for the front speakers. This is because these manufactures assume that the center and rear ports will be hooked up to the external amp of a 5.1 home audio system . This will cause softer sounds from Zalman’s un-amplified center and rear speakers. Again, this is not necessarily Zalman’s fault as the front and rear drivers are the exact same size. To take full advantage of the ZM-RS6F headset you need a separate sound card with equal (or close to equal) amounts of DB gain to its outputs. Most Creative products have this, and many other sound card companies advertise their DB gain across the outputs. There are also external headphone amplifiers that can correct this issue as well. Here are some examples of headhone amplifiers. The sound card used in this review was performed on an older Creative Audigy 4 with the latest device drivers for Windows XP 64 bit.

Zalman ZM-RS6F In Game- Counter-Strike: Source

With a decent sound card, the Zalman ZM-RS6F headphones bring a new angle to your favorite FPS that
supports a 5.1 configuration. The center channel exclusively responds to your own footsteps, gunfire, and other mono signals, which leaves the other 4 independent channels to give you important audio cues around the map. Surround is definitive enough to give you enough of an edge over people with stereo set-ups to make the ZM-RS6F headphones worth while.  It is also worth testing the ZM-RS6F headphones in 4 channel mode, when only the front and rear speakers are enabled.

Zalman ZM-RS6F Longevity

This is not the first pair of these headsets that I’ve owned. Compared to the likes of Logitech, Turtle Beach, Panasonic and other headsets in this price range (and more expensive) the Zalman ZM-RS6F falls right into the mainstream as far as life-expectancy is concerned. The longevity of headsets always has unforeseen variables, including but not limited to: number of times rolling over the wire with your desk chair,  drops, cord pulls, vacuum cleaners, video game rage and other factors.  Any headset that lasts a year or more with frequent use is a good headset.

The sample I received from J&R did not come with a microphone, however Zalman ZM-RS6F models I have purchased in the past, have. I knew when purchasing this sample from JR that it was mic-less, only because I have a mic left over from the first time I purchased this head set years ago. The mic’s design- a small, quarter sized device that clips onto the Zalman ZM-RS6F’s wire still sounds great after years of gaming abuse.

Conclusions the Zalman ZM-RS6F

This is not a $100 head set. For the price the ZM-RS6F headphones can’t be beat. Why buy a $50 analog
stereo headset when you can snag a pair of ZM-RS6F headphones with true positional surround? Even if you lose a channel after a year of use, you can still use them as a stereo headset anyway or at least until you feel the need to spend another $40-$50 on a new set…

Pros:

*True positional sound

*Comfort

*Decent sound quality for the price

*No drivers or other downloads to install (no USB) However, a USB version is available and more suited for laptops and computers without a good sound card.

*Six sound drivers, almost totally noise cancelling, even though the Zalman ZM-RS6F is not advertised to do so.

Cons:

*Need a decent sound card or headphone amplifier to experience full effects from the center and rear speakers.

*If used in conjunction with a 5.1 home theatre type system users can only use one device at a time.

*headphone jack colors are not the traditional green (front), orange (center/sub) and black (rear)

@Newegg:
Please put this product back on your shelves!