Logitech G435: for small heads housing big ideas
28.9.2021
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
With the G435, Logitech is offering a headset to people with small noggins and light wallets. It might appear cheaply finished, but it’s built like a tank – an all-round solid budget headset.
I have a small head. The secret’s finally out. Some things aren’t always what they seem. But when it comes to caps, helmets and the like, it’s the children’s department for me. That’s why headsets are usually way too big for me – even if I set them as small as possible.
But at long last, Logitech has taken pity on people like me – and children – with the G435. It’s specifically designed for people with small heads. And the best feature: I haven’t tried a headset as comfortable as the G435 until now.
Armoured plastic
At 165 grams, the headset is a lightweight. This is mainly due to the material used: only the 40-millimetre drivers and wires are made of metal. The rest is plastic, fabric or upholstery. Logitech wants to appear ecological with the G435: at least 22 per cent of the plastic used is recycled material. Even the headphones as a whole are supposedly climate-neutral.
But Logitech isn’t only saving weight by using plastic: there’s no padding on the headband. The fabric sheathing directly surrounds the plastic. You’re probably thinking: how can that be comfortable? Yes, actually, especially for people with skulls as small as mine. I never felt the headband, even after hours of use.
The same applies to the ear cushions. An eargasm in the truest sense of the word. They don’t isolate outside sounds very well. Perfect for homes that are mostly quiet, as you’ll still be able to hear the mail carrier at the door. My open-plan office, on the other hand, isn’t so great. I’m able to listen to everything my colleagues say. In exchange, the pads are breathable. I never even broke a sweat. The pads can even be removed if you want to change or wash them.
The earpieces are infinitely adjustable, and for the first time ever I don’t feel like my head is too small: On its tightest setting, the headset is actually too small even for me. The ear cups can be swivelled to the left and right. Thus, they easily adapt to different head shapes.
Although the headset is made of plastic, it’s extremely durable. I can move the headband almost any way I want, and still nothing creaks or breaks. I’m completely convinced that it’ll stay in one piece. What’s more, I even dropped the headset onto my stone floor from a height of about three metres once. Not even a scratch. Reminds me of my Nokia 3310 from days past.
The G435 is available in three colour variants: black and neon yellow, blue and raspberry, or grey white and lilac. I tested the black/neon yellow and blue/raspberry models. They’re both nice. You don’t come across blue/raspberry headsets that often. I like the coiled cable above the ear cups. Gives it a retro touch.
A Spartan headset
Otherwise, equipment is kept to a minimum. The «G Hub» software, which is otherwise used for Logitech G peripherals, isn’t required. Better yet: it doesn’t even work with the headset. You’ll see an error pop up when you start the program.
Keys are used to control the headset. They’re all placed at the back of the left ear cup. There’s a power switch at the top, below that a rocker to change the volume and at the bottom you can mute the microphone. The USB-C port for charging is still at the bottom of the ear cup.
There’s not much else that comes with it. Besides the headset itself, only the USB charging cable, the dongle and a quick start guide are included. Here’s a nice feature: the dongle matches the colour of the headset. It’s either black, blue or white.
You can connect it to your PC via a USB cable, 2.4 GHz dongle or Bluetooth. The headset can also be used with your smartphone or PlayStation. An audio jack connection is missing, and you can only use one connection at a time. You therefore can’t play games on PC while making phone calls at the same time. All connection options worked flawlessly in my test. Even if there are multiple devices connected via Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz. The battery lasts for about 18 hours in wireless mode.
To connect the headset using Bluetooth, the mute button must be held down. If you press the mute button and decrease the volume at the same time, you activate the volume limit. A great feature if you’re buying the headset for your kids, as this prevents any hearing damage.
A decent sound, all you need
The G435 sounds good for a headset in its price range. Logitech specified the frequency range for the 40 mm drivers as 20 to 20,000 Hz. I got between 30 and 15 000 Hz. But that may also be due to my ears. Unlike my child-sized head, my ears are those of a soon-to-be 40-year-old.
It delivers solid sound quality while gaming. The mids are more accentuated than I’m used to from other headsets in its price range. Others mostly rely on bass. The G435 doesn’t really pronounce its lows. But it works, as I can still hear the voices of my teammates in the heat of the moment. However, explosions and the like are a big part of «Horizon: Zero Dawn,» and they don’t come across quite as bombastic. Sadly, the highs are really lacking. Thus, the rainfall in «Battlefield 5» sounds a bit dull.
This is also what distinguishes it from more expensive headsets or headphones. When there’s a lot going on in games such as «Battlefield 5», the G435 cannot keep up. I hear subtle nuances a lot better with my Sennheiser HD-25 and a FiiO-K3 DAC headphone amplifier. Of course, this isn’t the best solution either, but it makes a difference compared to the G435.
The G435 can’t quite keep up in terms of 3D sound either. For example, when I activate Dolby Atmos for «Gears 5», I have the impression that the surround sound is better with my personal setup than with the G435. I can actually hear where a shot came from.
The G435 is well suited for listening to music. However, the same restrictions apply as for gaming. In the end, I’ve heard much worse sounding headsets than the G435, but also much better ones.
Skip the microphone
Whereas the headset drivers are solid, the microphone fails completely. Of my two headsets, the one on the blue/raspberry model seems to be defective.
My colleagues can’t understand me when I use it. And for once, it’s not because of my Bernese German.
The poor microphone quality may be due to the fact that the G435 doesn’t have a microphone boom. Logitech relies on two beamforming microphones. According to the manufacturer, this should reduce background noise. This works as well. During my second test using the other headset, I left my TV on in the living room. You can’t hear it at all on the black/neon yellow headset.
The black/neon yellow headset performed audibly better than the blue/raspberry one. It isn’t good, but at least there’s no dropouts or R2D2-like beeps. Still, my voice sounds tinny, and I don’t want to do that to anyone longer than necessary.
Verdict: more headsets for small noggins, please and thank you
I like the G435. Since I have a child’s head, it fits me perfectly. I’ve rarely had the pleasure to use such a comfortable headset. For being entirely of plastic, the headset is well made and withstands a lot.
Unfortunately, comfort and manufacturing aren’t everything. You’ll also want some good sound quality from your headset. The drivers meet this requirement. They’re good enough. But that’s about it. The microphone, on the other hand, is poor. I sound tinny and am sometimes difficult to understand. It’s enough in a pinch, but I wouldn’t always game with it.
Logitech is filling a gap with the G435 that I, as a person with a small head, have wanted to see taken care of for a long time. Naturally, the headset is also perfect for children. Also thanks to the optional volume limit. I wish more manufacturers would jump on this bandwagon. But please, make sure it’s a high-quality headset.
At just under 90 francs, the G435 is a good budget headset if you rarely need a microphone. If Logitech were to revise it one day, the manufacturer would have to do its homework, especially regarding the microphone.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
