Refine search for Laptops

TrustedReviews Awards 2008

Author	TrustedReviews
Published	25th Nov 2008

83 comments Email

TrustedReviews Newsletters

1st Place: Sennheiser 350 PRO Gaming Headset

There is simply no underestimating the importance of top quality audio when it comes to gaming, and Sennheiser is certainly no stranger when it comes to high-end sound gear. And though for many gamers the temptation of 5.1 'surround sound' headphones can be difficult to resist at the £100 mark, you're still better off with a stereo set that provides higher quality sound, build and comfort.

As stereo headsets go, this excellently-built Sennheiser PC 350 PRO has it all. The cups are foldable for easy transportation and storage. Together with the adjustable headband, they're also very large and well-padded, meaning you can game for hours on end without significant discomfort, and their closed nature does a good job of blocking out ambient noise.

Unlike the relatively flimsy microphones found on most headsets, the noise-cancelling model on the PC 350 PROs is encased in strong plastic and performs very well indeed, doing an exemplary job of cutting out that annoying background noise. Best of all, you get a separate USB sound card adapter for use with laptops and older integrated soundcards.

It might not be all things to all men (or women), but if you're looking for a headset to take your gaming performance to the next level, the Sennheiser 350 PRO Gaming Headset justifies its high price.

Read the full review of the Sennheiser 350 PRO Gaming Headset.

2nd Place: Creative GigaWorks T3 2.1 Speaker System

When it comes to PC sound systems, not everyone needs, wants or even has the room for a 5.1 surround setup. Creative has a long history of doing two things well, soundcards and speakers, and the company has gone to town on its new GigaWorks T3 2.1 system.

The styling is a timeless mixture of matte and glossy black, with a silver ring on the smoothly rounded wired remote. In contrast to the impressive triple-driver subwoofer, the satellites are tiny, and come with elegant metal stands.

Fortunately, their sound quality is anything but small, and these spiffy little units can produce rich room-filling audio while maintaining clarity and detail. Frankly, you'll have a difficult time finding a better 2.1 set.

Read the full review of the Creative GigaWorks T3 2.1 Speaker System.

3rd Place: Logitech Wave Keyboard

Amidst all the glam and hype over pimped-out gaming keyboards, it's easy to forget that most users are just looking for something affordable and comfortable. Logitech is one of the biggest players in the peripherals market, and its experience shows when it comes to the Wave keyboard.

What we have here is a well-designed, solid and very attractive wired USB keyboard, sporting a unique 'wave' shape that makes it ergonomically comfortable. This is also helped by the adjustable angle and integrated rubberised anti-sweat wrist-rest.

In terms of extras, there is a full set of multimedia controls and various shortcuts, including dedicated zoom, in addition to a full set of function keys. The best news? Saving yourself from RSI and keyboard-mediocrity now costs only £20!

Read the full review of the Logitech Wave Keyboard.

Latest 4 of 83 Comments

Have your say: Leave a comment below about this article.

Sivart said on 1st December 2008

Just read the awards article & then looked forward to the comments.

Big disapointment to find it dominated by a fruitcake with a grudge and an old pals reunion d... more

Ardjuna said on 5th December 2008

@Sivart: yes, it would have been nice to see some more comments about the actual products, and about awards other than the arguably least important 'style' one. Still, it... more

AlexMck said on 11th December 2008

Great job Riyad. Have been following the site for a long time but only just decided to register.
Rsaeire and Singularity -- have ye any lives to lead? I should think that,... more

PaulW said on 11th January 2009

@Sivart .. I agree with you to a degree. I dont have the funds to be fortunate to be able to buy a B&W Zeppelin, and therefore look forward to reviews of such products here @ TR. No matter what Riyad (other TR staff say)says, there will also be some contention. I bought a Samsung G600 phone for Xmas .. mainly because of the brilliant review here. As it happens, i dont like it & have gone back to my Nokia 6300. I also have a Nokia E71 (which another user was raving about) & I aint too keen on that either.

So what am I trying to say? Well this .. I find the TR site just about the most "accurate" place to go to read products reviews, and generally I find the conclusions produced "weigh in" with my own needs. I bought a Canon Pixma MP610 on the strength of its review & its brilliant! I also bought a Fuji S9600 camera purely on the review here & what a blinder! Brilliant choice & a brilliant review - altho very controversial at the time! 10 / 10 for a camera that I bought for £199!!

The arguments put forward about B&W Zeppelin as an iPod docking station do produce a smile on my face. I can many years ago, someone in Hi-Fi News stating "the wider you open the windows, the more the muck flies in", and having an iPod myself, I cannot but agree with this statement .. as the audio quality of the Apple iPod is well documented to be "questionable". Poor audio in - poor audio out!

BUT .. at least TR do actually carry out reviews of products tested. Some years back (in an earlier life) I was involved heavily in the PC MIDI market & ran a well know UK PC MIDI company distributing such products as Music Quest MIDI cards, CardD DAW card & Cadenza sequencing software (Gordon .. are you reading this? You & I have had several chats in the past about some of these products.)

On one occasion I was approached by a well known MIDI Music mag (no names mentioned, but their offices were in Bath!) asking for a sample Music Quest card for "head to head" review. I had always had my suspicions about the "authenticity" of reviews carried out by this Mag, & so I sent off a card that I knew to be faulty! It simply didnt work!

We came 2nd in a head to head shoot out with other popular MIDI card! We werent asked to replace the faulty card, yet we came in 2nd place! Amazing eh?

Thanks goodness we have moved on & we have sites like TR.

Well done guys .. whilst I dont agree with all that you say, I am darned glad that you have presence on the web! Sorry for going off topic a tad!

Happy New Year!

@Sivart .. I agree with you to a degree. I dont have the funds to be fortunate to be able to buy a B&W Zeppelin, and therefore look forward to reviews of such products here @ T... more

See all 83 comments on this article.

Add your comment

You must be logged in to comment. Login or register here.