AceZone A-Rise Review
A heavy-duty headset for esports
Verdict
AceZone’s A-Rise headset offers fantastic audio and a high-quality mic for live streaming and competitive gaming. There are a few caveats though, like its heavy and firm frame, which makes long sessions of use uncomfortable, and its supremely high price. Even so, it’s stunning sound and noise-cancelling makes this a top-tier esports option.
Pros
- Customisable settings enable bespoke playback
- A high-quality microphone ensures clarity on calls
- Secure fit helps wipe out external noise
- Impactful and luxurious sound
Cons
- Heavy, stiff design
- High price point
Key Features
- Beefy, detailed sound42mm drivers deliver impactful, high-quality audio
- Incredible microphone qualityAceZone algorithms listen and comprehensively cancel out external ambient noise
- Top-tier materialsMetal hinges and sheep leather padding provide an expensive feel
Introduction
AceZone is a new contender in the gaming headset scene, transferring its tournament-grade esports technology to consumer headsets with all the bells and whistles necessary to provide an edge over the competition.
I’ve been testing AceZone’s premier consumer headset over the past few weeks to see how it lines up against others on our index of the best gaming headsets available to buy in 2023. AceZone’s A-Rise headset comes in at a steep £699/$749, promising players an advantage in esports, amongst other deluxe features. Competition is provided by other top-notch headsets like the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless and the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro 2023, but the A-Rise has plenty to prove – let’s take a look.
Design and Features
- Luxurious albeit heavy frame
- Practical headset buttons
- Sturdy travel case
The A-Rise is nothing if not luxurious. The whole device feels great to hold, with a firm, stable exterior and sleek metal connectors attaching the cups to the frame. The construction is also very sturdy, with no immediate signs of wear despite weeks of heavy use.
The A-Rise undoubtedly looks the part but it does get uncomfortable when worn over long periods, with a 550g weight and firm padding putting pressure on the top of the head. Instead of the soft cushioning seen on AceZone’s A-Spire headset, the A-Rise has two lines of foam at the top of the headband and some dense, leather cushions on the cups. This solid covering protects the head, relieving some of the pressure from the headset’s weight on the neck at the cost of total comfort. The pinch of the headset can feel uncomfortable over time, but it ensures you get a quality seal to help with the active noise cancellation, so it’s a double-edged sword.
The earcup’s foam pads are removable, clipping and off with a strong magnet, and the earcups can swivel outwards smoothly courtesy of strong metal connectors – making them extremely easy to clean. When using the noise cancellation features, it was also convenient to flip them freely when I needed to talk to my partner instead of toying with my settings or taking the headset off entirely. I did run into some trouble with the frame extenders, though, which are quite stiff to manoeuvre when adjusting the fit, especially when you’re wearing the headset.
You’ll find a volume rocker, play/pause button and preset adjuster on the back portion of the cups amongst the connection ports. Even with a large cup size, the practical spacing of the buttons makes quick adjustments like slipping into Pro Gaming mode or pausing a song feel straightforward.
Esports competitors can take the A-Rise on the road courtesy of the sturdy travel case included in the box. The headset fits securely inside, allowing you to throw it in your bag and get to the event without worrying. The A-Rise also features the same manoeuvrable boom arm as AceZone’s smaller A-Spire headset, letting you find an optimal position without any trouble. Alongside the headset in the box, you’ll get a 3.5m Aux cable and a USB-C charging cable. Across the review period, I had no trouble swapping between devices with the A-Rise, including my MacBook and my PC.
The A-Rise is intended to be wired for the best quality audio experience and, while you can connect via Bluetooth, you’ll only have 15 hours of battery life before you’ll need a charge. The battery capacity is much smaller than others on the market, such as the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), which offers users up to 90 hours of wireless play.
Audio and Microphone
- Booming but intricate sound
- Clear and easily-posable microphone
- Customisable audio profiles
The A-Rise boasts 42mm drivers, which allow for crystal-clear audio delivery. The sound is impactful and rich when playing music, watching movies or playing games, and it often felt like the A-Rise was adding new depth to my daily content. I could hear new layers of instruments backing my favourite artist’s voices and picked up on intricate parts of soundscapes when playing games and watching YouTube. All of this excellently serves in-game play too, bringing the same richness and detail to competitive titles. This unique experience helped to distract me from my concerns with the uncomfortable fit.
With the active noise cancellation and secure seal, listening to audio with the A-Rise is certainly immersive, and there is no chance of any interference. You can spin up an album and drop into your little world for a while, and I came away surprised at how a gaming-focused headset could provide such top-quality casual listening.
The A-Rise can be paired with AceZone’s clever companion app, which allows you to flip between presets and tweak its transparency mode to choose how much external noise you’d like to let in while playing. It’s available for Android and Apple phones, and it’s a quick setup using Bluetooth to tether your headset to the device.
Using the app, you’ll be able to choose between Pro Gaming, Gaming and Music, and Gaming and Music with ANC off as quick presets. However, if you want to get into the nitty-gritty, you can manually adjust the bass, treble and sidetone, which controls how much you can hear yourself while speaking – a nice touch. This customizability is one of the headset’s strongest features, allowing you to create a profile that suits your situational needs, whether you’re fighting for a victory royale or tuning in to your favourite reality TV show.
The A-Rise microphone is another technical marvel that surprised me with its loud and clear recording quality. External microphones help single out your voice in difficult environments and group conversations. If you find yourself in a louder space, you can also toggle between the Basic and Advanced mic modes to help reduce background noise. Like the A-Spire, the A-Rise lets you quickly pull the mic skyward to mute it and leave a conversation, which is useful when your environment becomes overwhelming or you need to address someone in the same room.
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Should you buy it?
You want to take your esports gaming to the next level
The excellent noise cancellation, high-quality microphone, and customisable audio settings make the A-Rise a smart choice for those looking to bolster their abilities in esports-ready games like Valorant and League of Legends. The durable travel case makes the headset easy to take on the road to competitions, too.
You want a headset you can wear all day
The A-Rise’s smaller battery life and heavy build don’t suit long work days or on-the-go use. If you’re looking for something suitable for everyday office work and light gaming, the AceZone A-Spire or Corsair HS80 Max Wireless will suit your needs better.
Final Thoughts
The A-Rise headset is an amazing piece of kit that serves a niche audience. The microphone and audio quality are some of the best I’ve experienced. The latter makes a huge difference in competitive play and, even, when listening to music. The customisable settings can be tweaked at will, allowing you to fine-tune playback almost instantly.
It is important to note that the heavy fit and small battery won’t work for everyone, especially those who want a headset for long work days. Unless you’re super serious about specs, it’s hard to recommend the A-Rise over its younger sibling, the A-Spire, as it provides many of these features at a lower price point and is considerably more comfortable.
Other headsets on the market, like the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), can also offer a great audio experience for a fraction of the price, so before taking the leap on the A-Rise, these options are worth considering. Have a look at our best gaming headsets guide for a more mainstream set of headphones.
However, even with its caveats, the sheer quality of the A-Rise is undeniable and a great choice for budding esports players who want to experience the closest thing to a professional competition headset as a keen consumer.
How we test
We use every headset we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by using it in a variety of games, as well as playing music to get the full experience.
We also check each headset’s software (if applicable) to see how easy it is to customise and set up.
We use as our primary gaming headset for at least a week.
Use on as many platforms as possible to test versatility.
Judge audio for both gaming and music playback.
Use with multiple games to test audio.
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FAQs
Yes, the A-Rise does feature noise cancelling. It includes what AceZone calls “Three-layer military-grade digital noise cancelling.”
Full specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
