Considering the $45 price tag, the Rosewill Nebula GX50 is a surprisingly well-made gaming headset. A metal outer headband connects two large ear cups that are coated with a fine layer of rubber. That alone is something we rarely see in the sub-$50 price range, where manufacturers normally opt for all-out plastic. Aside from being well-made, it's also quite comfortable due to the second, inner headband that's padded with memory foam and covered in soft pleather; also consider the massive, foam-filled ear cushions and carefully adjusted clamping force. Like many times before, the dual-headband design results in excellent practicality as well. You never have to adjust anything; you simply pop this headset on and are good to go.

It sounds decent too, aiming more for savagery and drama than neutrality and finesse. The factory tuning is somewhat lacking in terms of midrange, so owners of the Nebula GX50 should definitely install the factory driver and use its system-wide equalizer to slightly boost the 1,200 Hz and 3,600 Hz frequency ranges. After that's done, the headset acoustically improves in all areas. The virtual 7.1 Surround Sound is a bit gimmicky - it's there, but doesn't do much to change the sound unless you manually adjust the positions of its eight virtual speakers. There are no factory presets, so you're on your own on that one.

The only drawback worth mentioning is the quietness of the microphone. It's essentially unusable before it is boosted, so not boosting it isn't really an option but something you absolutely have to do in order for your teammates to hear you. It still needs to sit very close to your mouth even when boosted - so close that the people you're talking with could find the popping of your P's and B's annoying. I guess I could also whine about the RGB lighting system offering no options in terms of color or effect. I wasn't bothered by it mostly because I see no point in having the RGB LEDs turned on, but perhaps some of you will be.

For $45, this is a decent gaming headset that is surprisingly well made and packed with features, with an underwhelming microphone as the only thing holding it back.