I’ve always used the price tag of headsets as the yardstick to set my expectations, seeing that the Molotov 5 from Armaggeddon is priced at RM 99.90 I knew I couldn’t expect much from it.
The packaging looks great for an RM 99.90 headset and that makes probably sets my expectation even lower – how good can it be?
On the official product page it states the following features.
– Supreme bass power
– Extra-durable braided nylon cable
– Plush Headband and luxurious,durable rubberized finish
– Ergonomic headband design for snug fit
– Soft ear cushions and cup design provide long-wearing comfort for all head sizes
– High-sensitivity microphone for clean and clear communication
– In-Line push-to-talk button on cable for easy access
The headset as you can see is a beautiful one, though it’s also available in red and blue variants, the yellow model seems to be the most attractive. The Molotov 5 comes with adjustable earpiece distance and angle, however the earpiece itself is non-movable.
The earpiece is small as you can see, it’s designed as an on-ear type so it cups on your ears and it could get uncomfortable and that depends on the configuration of your head. Angles aside, the soft cushion on the ear piece is good and it was reasonably comfortable for me. I still prefer earpieces that cover my ear in its entirety.
The headband is with good cushioning, I have no complaints on that aspect.
Lastly the Molotov 5 comes with a braided cable, while an add-on cable is required before you are able to use the mic.
User Experience
The Armaggeddon Molotov 5 is a Gaming Headset so I will judge it as a gaming headset – it works as a gaming headset. 😛 Ahhh don’t worry I won’t leave you dry without details. The Molotov 5’s feature list claims “Supreme bass power” and that it certainly delivers, and what impresses me is that the bass has very good “boom”. Audiophiles would’ve considered this “boom” too heavy for audio appreciation but we’re talking about gaming and it will work fine. Another great thing about the Molotov 5 is that it doesn’t rattle or break (audio output) despite the heavy bass.
I played games like CS:GO and League of Legends on it and had no issues whatsoever, it is a stereo headset and left / right positioning works as it should.
Games aside, I did test out the Molotov 5 with muusical pieces from Sawano Hiroyuki and various tracks on YouTube from PostModern Jukebox and what I can tell is that the tonal coverage is pretty good. On some soundtracks where multiple instruments are playing at once, the Molotov 5 can sound a bit messy. While the bass is good, what I noted is that the overall audio output does seems hollow when mid tones come into play.
The downside of this gaming headset would be its mic, one that requires the user to press before communicating. Seriously Armaggeddon – who has the freedom to lift their hands away from the keyboard and mouse just to speak?
One last thing to highlight is the headset lacks volume controls so that’s a bummer when it comes to having quick adjustment of volume during gaming, you can’t and you’ll have to manage the volume via in-game settings. 🙁
The Verdict
For those on a tight budget, the compact Armaggeddon Molotov 5 Gaming Headset that retails at RM 99.90 is a worthy consideration. The audio quality wouldn’t work well with audiophiles but for the general public I think it’ll be more than suffice, it’s actually outputs audio better than many other cheap headsets in the market. If you intend to use the mic often, then I suggest you look elsewhere but other than that, the Molotov 5 is a solid headset under RM 100.
