I have a reflex to groan whenever the topic of inexpensive gaming headsets gets brought up. They are usually cheaply made and have terrible audio that gets beat by the earbuds that come with most cell phones. Then there is the built-in mic on some of these units that just sounds plain awful. So for the last 10 years, give or take, if a headset hasn’t cost at least $100, it wasn’t something I was interested in looking into. And even at the $100 mark, I have been let down a few more times than I care to admit.

When KMD asked me to check out their new low-cost gaming headset for Xbox One/Series consoles, I admit I was a bit nervous for all the aforementioned reasons. But I decided to give the KMD Instinct headset the benefit of the doubt, as KMD did make one of my favorite controllers in recent memory. While the Instinct headset still falls victim to a few of the pitfalls of low-cost gaming headsets, it does a good job at others and even beats out a few higher-priced sets I have owned over the past 4 years.

What’s In The Box

The KMD Instinct comes in 2 flavors, Xbox or PlayStation; for this review, KMD has hooked me up with an Xbox variant. The box is done up with an Xbox green color scheme with the Instinct headset taking center stage alongside its branding. As previously mentioned, the headset is compatible with Xbox One and Series consoles as denoted by the “Optimized for Series X” sticker. Every image on the box is nice and glossy and branding is nicely embossed. It certainly does a good job of attracting the eye. Along the side and back of the box are some key highlights about the Instinct’s specs, including its 40 mm drivers, braided cable with in-line controls, foam ear cups, and noise-canceling mic. Opening the box will reveal the Instinct headset wrapped in bubble wrap.

Aesthetics And Build Quality

I have to admit that my first impressions of the KMD Instinct were pretty mixed. It is a pretty lightweight headset but it is also a bit on the stiff side. It can be worked out a bit to loosen it up and it has been pretty comfortable to wear over long periods of time. Because of its mostly plastic frame, it is a very rattly headset. I do have to admit that I am loving the KMD logo on the sides of each ear cup; it reminds me of the GDI logo from Command & Conquer, which makes me happy.

The earcups are supported by a metal and plastic frame and so far from my testing, it is holding up well unlike other cheap headsets. The earcups are an over-the-ear design but are a bit on the small side. They fit over my big head though, so I don’t expect many out there will take issue with them. They also have a nice leatherette finish compared to the cloth finish found on most low-cost sets. Shoot, even my Astro A50’s came with cloth and require an additional purchase to get the leatherette finish. The headband padding is also sporting the leatherette finish, which I enjoy.

Coming out of the left ear cup is the noise-canceling mic. The mic uses a boom design, allowing you to adjust its position as you see fit. The mic isn’t removable or retractable so it will always just sort of be there as you play. The mic can be muted through the use of the headset’s in-line controls. They sit about a foot down the cord from where it attaches to the Instinct’s left ear cup. The braided cord and leatherette ear cups provide a nice aesthetic touch and help the Instinct feel more premium than the price range would suggest.

Gameplay

There isn’t a ton of info about the exact specs of the Instinct headset outside of the snippets found on the packaging, which I am fine with as I believe in actual usability over numbers on a page. And this is where the Instinct actually proved to be more impressive than I would have given it credit for. Plugging the headset into my Xbox Series X controller I was greeted with good sounding clear audio! Given the Instinct’s $30 price tag I never expected it to sound as good as it does. Is it perfect? No, but still impressive all things considered.

Highs and mids are the Instinct’s strong points with clear representation. Lows are a bit on the flat side, underrepresenting the bass channel and giving everything a more accented treble. For me, this isn’t a huge deal as I have always preferred a bit more treble in my audio sources, though I do wish the bass was ever so slightly more powerful. Hopping into games with the Instinct provides an instant audio improvement compared to a TV’s built-in speakers. The stereo sound does a good job of conveying positional audio at a basic level to help give you an edge over your competition.

Playing Apex Legends I was able to determine where opponents were without much trouble. I did still encounter my old nemesis of not knowing if something was in front of me or behind me though. In other types of games where positional audio isn’t as mandatory, I found the performance of the Instinct to be well above average for its price point. And if that was it for the Instinct, I would have been perfectly happy with it. But, for Xbox users, the Instinct has a not so secret weapon backing it up: Dolby Atmos for headsets!

I have been a huge fan of Dolby Atmos for headphones ever since I bought it back when I reviewed the Astro A50’s. I have put it up against a number of different headsets since and have always found it to improve the experience and the Instinct is no different. Enabling the feature in my Xbox settings and loading back into Apex Legends, the positional audio was noticeably better. Not only was it easier to pinpoint exactly where enemies were in encounters, but I can also now tell whether they are in front or behind me! A literal game-changer for this lower-cost headset.

While the Instinct I received is marketed as an Xbox headset first and foremost, this doesn’t stop it from working with any number of 3.5 mm equipped devices, including the Nintendo Switch, PC, phones, and even the PS4. I imagine it would also work on PS5, but I don’t have one to test it with. Each of these devices provides the baseline audio experience I outlined above, but sadly outside of PC, you won’t get the added benefits of Dolby Atmos support. The experience is still good but not as good as Xbox and PC can provide for this particular headset.

But I need to touch on the Instinct’s mic now and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. First the good: it’s noise-canceling actually works surprisingly well. I had music going on my speakers at a loud volume about 2 feet from the mic, and listening to the output of the mic on another set of headphones I could only mildly hear the music. Not shabby Instinct, not shabby. The audio quality coming out of the mic also isn’t terrible and when using in-game voice chat is perfectly passable. 

Unfortunately, getting the mic to transmit your voice requires it to be basically in your mouth; otherwise, it comes through very quietly. Let’s just say I have become exceptionally aware of my breathing since starting my testing on the Instinct. Another downside to the mic is it will transmit your game audio back to other players if you have the volume up too high. In a multiplayer match, setting the volume at around 75% seemed to be the sweet spot for loud audio without it transmitting back to others. Of course, using the in-line mute when not using the mic can also remedy the issue.

What It Could Have Done Better

Overall I am happy with what the Instinct has offered me for the price. Audio quality is good for its class but the flatter bass is sure to turn some off. The build quality is a bit on the stiff side and while it has held up so far, I do have to wonder how long it would live up to an owner who is rough with their equipment. I think about the only thing I am remotely disappointed by is the mic transmitting back game audio to other players. But in all fairness, this has happened to me with a $200 headset, so I‘m not sure how to judge its severity in this case. Just as an FYI, the Instinct has also been far more comfortable to wear over extended periods of time compared to that same $200 set. GG, Instinct.

Verdict

At the end of the day, the KMD Instinct makes me question the old adage “you get what you pay for”. While the build quality and mic are on the lower end, they are bolstered by the nice leatherette finish and noise cancellation. The audio quality exceeds that of nearly anything I have personally tested in this price range, and even beats out a few $80-$100 sets I own. Activating Dolby Atmos also helps make up for the Instinct’s default shortcomings with positional audio. While the Instinct won’t become my main driver, I am glad to have it as a solid backup device or as a secondary set for local multiplayer gaming. I might even pick up a couple extra to give the kids as they continue branching into more games. At only $30, the KMD Instinct is punching well above its price range in a number of areas, and for anyone looking for a new headset on a budget, they are the way to go!