The Verdict
Once again, Polk has made a product that I feel has the gamer’s needs at heart. There’s not a ton of bells and whistles. What the Striker Pro ZX offers is a comfortable, versatile gaming headset with some of the best sound quality that you’ll get in the $150 price range. If you use multiple consoles and want a headset that can transition seamlessly between all of your devices — and don’t want to spend $250+ — Polk offers one heck of a product here. Though I personally preferred the less chunky microphone of the Striker ZX, and some of my issues with that headset were still present here — the Striker ZX Pro has so many positives (clear sound, nice punch with the bass, amazing comfort) that the negatives get outweighed.
The Positives
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I really like how the mute button is implemented on the mic. It’s a simple button at the end of the mic, right below where it plugs into the headset. It’s discreet and out of the way and I like the location. The quality of my voice through the mic is also superb.
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The Striker Pro ZX comes with adapters and wires for everything you might want to connect it to — PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, tablets, smartphones and Wii U. Included is a 3m PC connect cable, 1m console connect cable, an in-line volume control for PS4 use, and a Xbox One headset adapter. There’s also markings on the cables so you know which one to use with which console/device.
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There’s a good amount of swivel and tilt, and the padding on the earpads and underside of the headband is really comfortable. The weight is perfect and after wearing it for two straight six-hour sessions, it didn’t bother me one bit.
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It’s a simple, straightforward headset.
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The color scheme is very nice.
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There is an amazing amount of bass (not muffled either), that gets pumped out of this headset. It never overpowers the treble and mids, and I enjoyed it not only for gaming, but with music and movies as well. I test every headset out by listening to Rush, and the Striker Pro ZX did not disappoint.
The Negatives
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The mic is a bit on the chunky side. It isn’t retractable like the mic on the Striker ZX that I reviewed. In its place is a flexible, removable and omni-directional mic. Though the mic sounds fine to whoever you’ll be chatting with, it is much chunkier and a little less flexible than the one on the Striker ZX. The upside there is that it won’t break. I also had to have the mic really close, sometimes against my cheek.
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I have a bit of the same issue that I had with the Striker ZX. Though the headset is in fact sturdy, I feel like I could snap the ear cups, as they plastic there feels like it will snap. Rest assured, mine didn’t snap, but the flimsiness always had me extra cautious.
In November of 2014, I reviewed Polk’s Striker ZX Xbox One gaming headset. I sang its praises, liking the style and color scheme, sound, and price. It was a great package for an Xbox One gamer not looking to break the bank. Recently, Polk introduced a new gaming headset — the Striker Pro ZX. Similar in design (with a few tweaks here and there), the Striker Pro ZX is an updated, upgraded version that offers more versatility.
What exactly does it offer? And how does it compare to its contemporaries? Continue on with our review and find out!
