Fractal Scape  Headphones Review

The Fractal Scape isn't suitable for sports and fitness, as it's really not designed for this purpose. While it has a stable fit on the head and offers a decent level of comfort, it'll fall off your head in the face of more vigorous exercise, and the cloth-covered, memory foam earpads will trap sweat and heat. Although it's on the lighter side for a gaming headset, the bulky design is hardly the most streamlined for your daily run. It also lacks an IP rating for protection against the elements.

The Fractal Scape is passable for travel use, though it's not really designed with on-the-go use in mind. While its boom mic is detachable and the charging dock is on the more compact side, the ear cups don't fold flat, and the headset takes up a lot of space in bags and luggage. The lack of an ANC system means that you're at the mercy of roaring jet engines and the captain's announcements, should you wish to take them with you on the plane. They don't fare much better in other environments either, plus they leak enough audio to bother those around you in tight quarters. While they're comfortable over short periods, the high clamping force can take its toll over extended use, particularly if you have a larger head or wear glasses. On the upside, the 46 hours of battery life should get you through a layover-filled international itinerary on a single charge.

The Fractal Scape is adequate for office work. Its excellent mic recording quality and noise handling are strong assets for those who take a lot of meetings and those who take calls within a bullpen-like environment with lots of ambient noise. Unfortunately, its poor noise isolation performance means that, while your voice might be well-separated from its background, you'll struggle to make out what's being said on the other end in busy environments. There's very little attenuation of bass and mid-range sounds, so you'll be at the mercy of scraping chairs and office gossip. Its memory foam ear padding makes for a comfortable feel over the ears, but the high clamping force might apply some pressure on your head over time, especially if you have a larger head or wear glasses.

The Fractal Scape is good for wired gaming. It connects via a USB-A to USB-C cable for low-latency playback, and you'll have full mic and audio support. Its V-shaped sound profile injects some excitement into soundtracks and in-game audio, adding a visceral quality to ground-shaking sub-bass SFX while rendering sword clashes with some extra zing. While the combination of memory foam earpads and their cloth covering makes for a comfortable sensation on the ears, the strong clamping force can cause some discomfort over extended wear, especially if you have a larger head. The detachable boom mic does an excellent job of rendering your voice naturally, whether you're in a game lobby or Discord chat, and can even separate your voice from loud background noises.

The Fractal Scape is a good choice for audio reproduction accuracy. The frequency response mostly follows the V-shaped sound profile, with only subtle deviations in the mid and treble ranges. It's a response that's well-suited to both first-person shooters and single-player storyline games, as well as dynamic genres like pop and rock. The L/R drivers are well-matched in frequency and amplitude, resulting in an even stereo image. Although there are some phase imbalances, they're nearly impossible to hear with everyday content. Other objective metrics, such as group delay and harmonic distortion, fall within acceptable values.

The Fractal Scape offers very little attenuation of external sounds. It lacks an ANC system, relying instead on its closed-back design to passively isolate you from your surroundings. Unfortunately, this doesn't amount to much: it can take some of the sting out of whirring PC fans, but it won't shield you from an active flightpath overhead or a busy street outside your window. This headset also leaks a fair bit, so be aware that others around you will be able to hear your audio at louder volumes.

The Fractal Scape has an excellent microphone performance. The detachable boom mic renders your voice clearly; there's plenty of mid-range detail without the bass or treble roll-off you often see with headset microphones. It also does an amazing job of separating your voice from its background, even in the face of loud, sudden noises that can often obfuscate voices. Should you want to detach the boom mic for a more casual look, the beam-forming integrated mic can also do a job in its stead.

The Fractal Scape has decent frequency response consistency. The design of the ear cups, coupled with the high clamping force, means that the seal can easily be disrupted by the arms of glasses or thick, long locks of hair. As a result, you might experience some deviations in bass delivery if you have glasses with thick arms or long hair, though the degree to which this range is affected isn't as drastic as with other headphones. Either way, we recommend taking the time to adjust them on your head to achieve an optimal seal.